CHICAGO – July 11, 2024 – Respiratory Health Association (RHA) President and CEO Joel Africk recently presented to the Caregiver Workgroup within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The presentation focused on RHA’s significant contributions to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) education and awareness.
“We need support from insurance payers, large employers, and other areas of healthcare to address the needs of family caregivers of COPD patients,” said Joel Africk, RHA President and CEO. “Right now informal family caregivers are filling the gap and this is not sustainable in the long-term.”
In response to the needs of family caregivers, RHA developed “The COPD Caregiver’s Toolkit” in 2015. This resource was created and tested specifically for caregivers, providing them with immediate, actionable steps to improve their caregiving.
In 2018, RHA received funding from the NHLBI Learn More Breathe Better® program to evaluate caregiver acceptance of the toolkit. This partnership led to a year-long project to digitize the toolkit. Today, the digital toolkit is available on the NHLBI webpage at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/copd-caregivers.
RHA offers additional programs supporting COPD patients and caregivers including:
- Living Better Together COPD Conference: An event for patients and caregivers.
- Project STRENGTH (Support for Transitioning Rehabilitation and Exercise Now Going to Home): A program to aid patients transitioning from rehabilitation to home-based care.
- Inspiration Newsletter: A publication providing the latest updates and information.
- COPD Patient and PR E-Newsletters: Regular digital newsletters for patients and healthcare providers.
COPD is a severe lung condition that progressively makes breathing difficult. COPD is an umbrella term that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. 16 million Americans have been diagnosed with COPD. The annual medical cost of COPD is $24 billion for adults aged 45 and older, with $6.3 billion attributed to inpatient costs. In 2020, COPD accounted for 925,000 emergency room visits and 335,000 hospitalizations.
For more information about RHA’s programs and resources, please visit RespHealth.org/COPD.
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About Respiratory Health Association: RHA has been a local public health leader in Chicago since 1906. RHA works to prevent lung disease, promote clean air, and help people live better through education, research, and policy change. To learn more, visit RespHealth.org.
About Learn More Breathe Better: Learn More Breathe Better® is a national health education initiative of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the National Institutes of Health. The program aims to enhance public and professional understanding of lung health by translating research into actionable education programs.