Asthma Programs

RHA is dedicated to improving asthma management among children and their adult caregivers. Our school-based asthma management education programs are well-established and supported by research. To date, RHA has educated more than 14,000 students with asthma through Fight Asthma Now© and nearly 30,000 adult caregivers through Asthma Management.

For more information about these or any of RHA’s asthma programs, contact Elena Roy, via email at eroy@resphealth.org.

RHA’s Asthma Management

RHA’s Asthma Management is a one-hour program to educate parents, teachers and caregivers of children with asthma. Asthma Management aims to help parents, caregivers, community groups, school staff, and daycare providers better recognize and more effectively support children living with asthma.

Asthma Management uses content set forth in NAEPP guidelines, including early recognition of asthma symptoms, common asthma triggers, trigger avoidance strategies, proper inhaler use and descriptions of various asthma medications.

The Asthma Management program is tailored to meet the needs of each audience.

RESCUE Illinois Schools

In 2018, legislation was enacted that permits Illinois schools to maintain a stock of undesignated asthma medication to be used for respiratory emergencies by school nurses and other school personnel, who are trained annually. In 2023, with State of Illinois funding, the RESCUE Illinois Schools program was established, providing asthma rescue medication and equipment to the majority of Illinois public schools. In the 2024 Session of the General Assembly, RHA successfully lobbied for another year of funding for RESCUE Illinois Schools.

Since the start of the program, RHA in partnership with RESCUE Illinois Schools, trained over 2,500 school staff and provided equipment and medications to more than 3,000 (80%) Illinois schools. Now, 830 schools reported using the emergency medication 1,172 times on students in respiratory distress. And 360 students avoided an ER visit because asthma medication was available. Read more about our program results in our USA Today article.

Make sure staff are prepared to respond to asthma emergencies at your school! The RESCUE Illinois Schools program is now available at no cost to all Illinois schools. Receive training and materials for asthma management, as well as instructions on how to obtain undesignated asthma medication. Interested in learning more?

Please contact Erica Salem at esalem@resphealth.org.

Asthma-Friendly Childcare Toolkit

By providing evaluation tools and information, RHA’s Asthma-Friendly Childcare Toolkit is intended to prevent unnecessary asthma emergencies in the daycare setting by increasing the number of asthma-friendly childcare facilities.

The toolkit covers a range of topics, including detailed information about asthma, the respiratory system, and what occurs during an asthma episode. It also provides guidance on managing asthma, such as identifying triggers, implementing integrated pest management practices, addressing food allergies, and understanding treatment options. Additionally, the toolkit includes instructions for creating and using an Asthma Action Plan, practical tips for childcare staff—accompanied by a Checklist for Daycare Providers—and helpful advice for families on minimizing triggers in the home. To further support its users, the toolkit offers resources such as a sample asthma action plan, a glossary of terms, and additional references.

This publication was funded by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Asthma Program, through cooperative agreement 5U59EH000532-04 from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fight Asthma Now©

RHA developed Fight Asthma Now© based on the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP) clinical practice guidelines, coordinated by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and with input from pediatricians, respiratory therapists, community educators and parents of children with asthma. Fight Asthma Now© teaches children how to identify their asthma symptoms, how to avoid asthma triggers and how to exercise proper medication technique. This evidence-based, school-based asthma self-management curriculum is designed for youth (3rd – 6th grades) and teens (7th – 12th grades) with asthma.

Fight Asthma Now© is being used by Los Angeles Unified School District and select schools in Washington D.C. We collaborate with a variety of community and government partners including Chicago Public Schools (CPS), Chicago Park District (CPD) and Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) to reach communities with a high burden of asthma, primarily Chicago’s South and West Sides.

RHA conducted a formal validation study of our Fight Asthma Now© program during the 2007-2008 school year, which concluded that the program achieved behavioral change and knowledge gain. This study was published in the October 2011 issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

All participants in Fight Asthma Now© complete a pre- and post-survey to assess knowledge gain and intent for behavior change. Ongoing program evaluation efforts indicate that Fight Asthma Now© increases student understanding of asthma medication and proper medication technique, essential components to asthma management.

Interested in bringing this free asthma program to your school? Complete our interest form and return to RHA’s office.

Asthma Webinars

Asthma Management Training for Caregivers

In this training, RHA educates caregivers on how to care for a child living with asthma. Topics include how to identify a child having trouble with asthma, trigger avoidance strategies, asthma medication policies, and asthma emergency response.

Stock Albuterol Training for Illinois School Personnel Webinar