(Jan. 23, 2003) — When the participants in California's first Asthma Educator Course finish their two-day intensive seminar here today, they will have the tools to pass a new national examination designed to certify asthma educators and, equally important, they will have up-to-date knowledge in helping people with asthma to manage their chronic condition safely.
How important is it for people to learn to manage asthma? A national survey of school nurses in 2003 found that 51% of them believe asthma awareness among young students with asthma is only fair or poor. "When children and their families don't manage asthma, it results in emergency room visits, missed days at school and work, and sometimes a tragic, unnecessary death," said Janie Davis, President and CEO of the American Lung Association of San Diego & Imperial Counties. The Lung Association held this week's Asthma Educator Course.
"This week's sessions brought more than 50 health care providers and social workers from throughout the state to learn the latest techniques of asthma management from a panel of nine local and national experts," said Erin Touslee of the Lung Association, who organized the event.
The San Diego course is the first in California for a national program initiated by the American Lung Association to enable individuals to pass a new examination created by the National Asthma Educator Certification Board. "The overall effort is to set clear national standards for asthma care and to teach people with asthma the important basic methods to keep themselves safe and breathing easier," said Michael Welch, MD, volunteer Chairman of the Lung Association and one of the nine faculty members of this week's Asthma Educator Course.
"Asthma has no cure and therefore requires consistent monitoring and appropriate medication to keep airways open, an incredibly important life lesson for parents and children who confront this disease," Welch said. Asthma affects approximately 235,000 children and adults in San Diego and Imperial Counties.
Celebrating 100 years of improving the future for people with lung disease – through prevention, research, and education – the American Lung Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties originated the Lung Express program, conducts the annual SCAMP Camp, holds an AsthmaWalk each autumn, and participates in other efforts to assist children with asthma including the San Diego Regional Asthma Coalition and the San Diego Childhood Asthma Initiative.
The American Lung Association also maintains partnerships with county health departments and other agencies to combat tuberculosis; convenes Better Breathers Clubs to support adults with impaired lung function; leads in advocacy for the creation of tobacco-free communities and better air quality; supports lung research; educates health care providers and the public about lung health.
