In The News

Asthma Toolkit On TV

By Kathy Walsh, Health Specialist, Channel 4 News

National Jewish Health is taking their successful Asthma Tool Kit Program into Denver-metro communities to help train health care providers on asthma diagnosis and care. National Jewish Health has partnered with Metro Community Providers Network, who work with underserved populations, to raise the level of asthma care. The program is is available thanks in part to a grant by GlaxoSmithKline.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn2M8vuPFdc

Support for asthma sufferers improves quality of life

By Linda Zittleman, Special to The Fort Morgan Times
Posted: 11/13/2009 01:56:21 PM MST

Special to The Times Over 12,000 people in eastern Colorado have asthma.

Asthma attacks are caused by swelling of the airways in the lungs, which leaves people struggling to get their breath. That adds up to a lot of time feeling sick, missed work and school, and money for emergency room visits.

Many people with asthma have feelings of anxiety and sadness. Children with asthma may have trouble keeping up in school and may be left out of activities when they are not feeling well.

With the right support, life can be normal for people with asthma. A new program called Asthma Toolkits provides this support.

A number of clinics in Fort Morgan have participated in the program, including Salud, Fort Morgan Medical Group, Fort Morgan Internal Medicine, Family Care Practice and Dr. Stephen Godar. The program is a partnership between National Jewish Health and the High Plains Research Network.

The Asthma Toolkits program includes training and equipment for doctors to better diagnose and treat asthma, including spirometry. Spirometry measures lung function. Family Care Practice is doing eight to 10 more spirometry tests each month, helping patients to have better control of their asthma.

“Spirometry allows me to provide more effective treatment for patients,” Dr. Stephen Godar commented. “I can determine therapy and discuss the results with the patient; it really changes what I can accomplish in a single office visit.”

The Toolkit program also includes a free “toolkit” for patients, with helpful information on asthma, a peak flow meter for measuring breathing at home, and symptoms diaries. Providers can also give patients asthma action plans.

The staff at Fort Morgan Medical Group has started to have patients keep symptom diaries, and advises patients to bring them back at their follow-up visit. Using the diaries in combination with the information in the Asthma Toolkit has been very helpful for patients.

The final part to this program is a special automated telephone outreach service that calls people with asthma, or their parents. The call checks on asthma symptoms and provides helpful suggestions for patients and parents. It can help direct people to additional free telephone services, including nurses who can answer questions about asthma.

If you have asthma or asthma symptoms, visit your local clinic, ask your doctor about any asthma symptoms and ask for your FREE asthma toolkit. This program has been funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

— Linda Zittleman is the Associate Director for the High Plains Research Network. This is the last in a series of articles for an asthma awareness project in eastern Colorado by the High Plains Research Community Advisory Council.

Local boy, mom team up to beat asthma

Linda Zittleman, Special to the Journal-Advocate
Posted: 11/30/2009 01:56:23 PM MST

MERINO — This past summer, Heather Neff, a native of northeast Colorado and a Merino resident, was told that her young son Ty would have asthma the rest of his life.

While talking with Heather on the phone, I hear Ty running around the room, calling to his mother, and basically sounding like a typical little boy. This is great to hear, and I wonder how Heather and Ty work together to help him live this active childhood. Although Ty is only three and a half, asthma has been a problem since his first year. His asthma became apparent as he started playing more. “I noticed he would have trouble breathing and would cough,” says Heather. Today Ty’s asthma is as controlled as possible, according to Heather. One of his bigger challenges is the congestion each morning caused by his asthma. But he has successes, too. Success to Heather is the fact that her son can play and run around — inside and outside. Heather gladly reports, “Before medications, Ty would run around the table once and start coughing. Now, it takes a lot more activity for him to start coughing, if he does.” Heather and Ty work as a team to manage his asthma. He uses a medicine called Advair twice a day plus other longer- lasting medicines to help prevent attacks. He also uses inhalers to help treat attacks when they happen. Ty also has his Asthma Toolkit. Toolkits are available at local clinics across eastern Colorado, including the clinics in Akron, Brush, Fort Morgan, and Sterling. Toolkits include a peak flow meter to help monitor breathing daily. Given Ty’s young age, he wasn’t quite ready to use the peak flow meter. Until he is a little older, he and Heather use a different trick that uses the same concept as the peak flow meter. Ty blows a cotton ball across the table. According to Heather, “I can really tell a difference on days when Ty’s breathing is more labored. It’s worth it to do this every day.” Her favorite part of the Toolkits is the Asthma Action Plan. This form is filled out by the patient and provider and outlines steps to take when Ty has an attack. “This is the best part,” declares Heather, “especially when someone else is taking care of Ty.” Ty also avoids his triggers as much as possible, which include weeds, dust, aerosol sprays and perfumes. Heather doesn’t clean the house when he is nearby or keeps the room well-ventilated. Heather and Ty know how to work together as a team. If you would like more information about asthma, talk to your local health care provider about the free Asthma Toolkits program. Most clinics in eastern Colorado have the program, which was developed by National Jewish Health and the High Plains Research Network. Materials are available in English and Spanish.

Linda Zittleman is the Associate Director for the High Plains Research Network.

Sterling wheat farmer knows how to control his asthma

By Callie Jones Sterling Journal-Advocate staff writer
Posted: 11/17/2009 03:34:02 PM MST

STERLING - Imagine trying to perform your daily routine while sucking on a straw. That’s how Del Northrup, of New Raymer, describes living with asthma. A lot of people don’t understand what asthma is, he said.

Asthma is the inflammation and narrowing of the airways, often triggered by pollutants such as dust and smoke. Northrup has had asthma for 47 years, since he was 8 years old. One day at school he was sitting on a hay bale and he started having shortness of breath; he went to the doctor and that was when he was diagnosed with asthma.

Keeping his asthma under control can be difficult because his triggers are mold and wheat dust and he is a wheat farmer. One thing he does to keep his asthma under control while working is to stay upwind. Northrup also wears a respirator and tries to stay out of moldy and dusty places when he can. Northrup said it’s important to know what your triggers are and to stay away from them. Also, if you do have an attack, stay calm, don’t panic.

He is an at-risk patient, so he keeps a nebulizer at home which he uses when he has an outbreak. Northrup has also taken daily medications for asthma for most of his life, starting in high school. He pointed out that asthma used to be treated with a lot of steroids, but now there are a lot of newer medicines that don’t have the side effects the old one’s did. If you think you have asthma you should see a specialist. Every year, approximately 5,000 people are hospitalized in Colorado for asthma. Children under five are at the greatest risk for developing asthma symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization. Counties in eastern Colorado have been hit especially hard by asthma. Hospitalization rates for asthma in Logan, Morgan, Lincoln, Kit Karson, Cheyenne, Otero, Prowers and Baca Counties are among the highest in the state. To help fight this epidemic, the High Plains Research Network has partnered with National Jewish Health to implement the Asthma Toolkits program in primary care practices across eastern Colorado. Asthma Toolkits provide physicians with up-to-date training and equipment to diagnose and treat asthma in the most effective way possible. Doctors also get asthma toolkits filled with helpful information and peak flow meter for their patients. Patients can also sign up for a telephone outreach program. This provides useful information about asthma and other free services. The Asthma Tool Kits program is available in primary care practices all over eastern Colorado, including: Dr. Durand Kahler, Dr. Van Schooneveld, Family Care Clinic, High Country Internal Medicine and Salud Clinic in Sterling, as well as Northeastern Junior College.

Callie Jones: (970) 526-9286; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Asthma Toolkit II offers free training to area medical professionals

The occurrence of asthma is particularly high in Colorado, but asthma patients in Pueblo and El Paso counties are getting expert help thanks in part to efforts of Southeastern Colorado Area Health Education Center, National Jewish Health and Kaiser Permanente.

The Asthma Toolkit II program is able to continue work in these counties thanks to a grant from Kaiser Permanente. The program delivers up-to-date equipment, training and materials to medical professionals via a free NIH evidence-based training package that includes spirometry equipment, classroom and in-office training along with patient education materials. The training allows medical staff to learn exactly how to use the EasyOne spirometers and interpret the results. Additionally they learn how to use the patient education materials to help better diagnose and manage asthma symptoms.

A good example of how the program works can be found at the Cripple Creek –Victor Mountain Health Center. This school-based clinic is affiliated with Peak Vista Community Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center based in Colorado Springs.

“People come here from lower elevations and they experience exercise induced asthma,” notes Lorrie Grube, PA-C at the clinic. The clinic has 25 young asthma patients who are being treated and monitored with the Asthma Toolkit spirometers. “We are thrilled with the spirometry because we can keep closer progress on each child. We can track it very closely to see if they are maintaining or if we need to add inhalers.

“We give the parents the toolkit materials and then they do some of the teaching as well. Children who are being treated are more stabilized and miss fewer school time hours than previously. Also, children feel safe and comfortable coming to the clinic in the school. Finally, they are more aware of their disease and more comfortable maintaining it.” Sady Mounts, RMA describes her experience with a teen patient who was convinced that nothing would work and he would always have trouble breathing. Now, after six months of treatment using the Asthma Toolkit process, he is able to see progress, is taking his medication and using his inhalers. His experience is fairly typical of students who take a more active role in their treatment with the Asthma Toolkit, notes Sady.