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Living Our Mission: Webinars

Join Respiratory Health Association for our free monthly webinar series, where we tackle today’s important lung health questions. These hour-long events highlight a range of lung health and clean air topics with experts from the field, and give you the opportunity to ask your pressing questions.

Did you miss one of our webinars? Past recordings are available below so you can watch when the time is right for you!

Our Upcoming Webinars

Check back soon for updates about our next webinar!

Our Past Webinars

Emerging Threats to Smoke-free Laws

The number of states with comprehensive smoke-free laws in effect increased from zero at the end of 2000 to 28 states today, along with Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and hundreds of cities and counties. These smoke-free laws prohibit smoking in workplaces, restaurants, and bars – and have contributed to decreases in tobacco smoking rates and improved the health of both workers at these businesses and the general population.

Yet over the past decade, widespread availability and use of electronic cigarettes – and the legalization of recreational cannabis in 18 states and Washington, D.C. – have posed serious threats to the protections provided by smoke-free laws across the country.

Our expert panel discussed the most recent trends in e-cigarette and recreational cannabis use, existing and proposed policies to preserve smoke-free indoor air laws, and additional steps we can take to maintain smoke-free protections.

Asthma, Clean Air, and the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act:
Illinois Virtual Respiratory Education Event

In this policy roundtable, we discussed opportunities to influence the use of zero-emission/clean air funding, made available under the recent state law, to maximize health benefits and minimize impacts on people living with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma and other lung diseases.

Topics addressed included the asthma landscape in Illinois and the Chicago region, the impact of air pollution on health outcomes in multiple communities, and how provisions within the Illinois Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) provide opportunities to decrease air pollutants in communities with high asthma rates.

Please note: this event is available in both English and Spanish.

Speakers

Brian Urbaszewski
Director, Environmental Health Programs, Respiratory Health Association

Jose Acosta-Córdova
Environmental Planning and Research Organizer, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization

Clean Energy 101: What Is It and What Does It Mean for Illinois?

What is clean energy? Why is it important? Experts in the field answer these questions and explain how clean energy sources differ from fossil fuels, how using clean energy is beneficial for everyone’s health and the future of the planet, and ways communities can get involved in transitioning to clean energy.

Speakers

Colleen Smith, Deputy Director, Illinois Environmental Council
Brian Urbaszewski, Director, Environmental Health Programs, Respiratory Health Association
Pastor Scott Onqué, Policy Director, Faith in Place

COVID-19 Vaccine Updates: Ask the Experts

As an increasing number of people receive their COVID-19 vaccinations, questions still remain. How many people have been vaccinated? Why are some people declining to get the vaccine? Will a booster shot be needed, and will we need to get a COVID-19 vaccine each year? Two leaders in the fight against COVID-19 joined us to answer these questions and more.

Saving Lives with Lung Cancer Screening

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer and the third most common cancer in both men and women. Early detection of lung cancer can make treatment more successful and save lives. Experts recommend certain current and former smokers — people who are most at risk for developing lung cancer — get screened.

Dr. Karriem Watson of UI Health and UIC and Linda Dowling of Rush University Medical Center joined us to discuss the importance of lung cancer screening, updates to lung cancer screening guidelines, and community engagement strategies to address disparities in screening.

Trends in Women’s Lung Health

Nearly 21 million U.S. women live with lung diseases like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and pulmonary fibrosis. Millions more have early symptoms but have not yet been diagnosed. Despite these numbers, women’s lung disease research is drastically underfunded compared to other causes of death. This means there are fewer treatment options and poorer health outcomes for people living with lung disease.

Please join us for a conversation with Dr. MeiLan Han of the University of Michigan and Dr. Ravi Kalhan of Northwestern University as we look at trends in lung health among women, including the impacts of informal caregiving roles.

Sponsorship of this webinar is generously provided by JTV (Jewelry Television) and Pulmonx.

School-based Asthma Policies: Addressing Implementation Challenges

In this webinar, Respiratory Health Association and Chicago Asthma Consortium gave an overview of childhood asthma, discussed asthma guidelines Illinois schools must follow to help students with asthma stay safe, and described implementation challenges and what steps can be taken to best support students living with asthma.

Presenters include Anna Volerman, MD, University of Chicago Medicine, Erica Salem, MPH, Respiratory Health Association, and Andrea Pappalardo, MD, University of Illinois Health.

We hosted a series of webinars which address important topics and updates for people living with COPD and their caregivers.

Supplemental Oxygen at Home
Dr. Jerry Krishnan discusses what supplemental oxygen is, the benefits of using supplemental oxygen, and how to know when it’s time to start or stop using home oxygen.

Current COPD Medications
Managing symptoms and slowing down any damage to lungs is important since there is currently no cure for COPD. In this webinar, we discuss the different types of COPD medications and answer questions.

COPD and Common Comorbidities
Comorbidities, or having more than one condition at the same time, can occur in patients with mild, moderate, or severe COPD. In this webinar, Dr. Paul Reyfman discussed some of the most common conditions that can develop for people living with COPD and the impact they may have.

COVID-19 Vaccine Questions Answered

As COVID-19 spreads, there is continued focus on developing a vaccine. With promises that a vaccine could be available before the end of the year, many of us are left with questions: How can I sign up to participate in a vaccine trial? When will a vaccine be ready? Will I be able to get it? Will the vaccine be safe? Will it have any side effects? Karen Krueger, MD, joined us to answer these questions and more.

Transportation, Air Pollution, and Lung Health

The webinar covers how Respiratory Health Association and its community partners are assessing the impacts of pollution in neighborhoods around Chicago, as well as the health impacts of air pollution, how equity and disparities are effected by pollution, and how electric vehicles and infrastructure benefit health and improve air quality.

COPD & COVID-19: A Conversation with a Front-Line Provider

Dr. Khalilah Gates, a practicing pulmonologist from Northwestern University, shared her experience as a front-line provider during the COVID-19 pandemic and how the virus has affected those living with COPD. Learn more about early knowledge on the relationship between COPD and COVID-19, the best prevention tips, and risk factors for those living with COPD and other lung diseases.

To learn more about our upcoming Living Better Together COPD webinar series, which will focus on addition topics for those living with COPD, their families, and caregivers, click here.

COVID-19, Children, and Returning to School

As fall approaches, what does COVID-19 mean for returning to school?

Respiratory Health Association, school officials, and mental health experts joined together for a special webinar to address what parents, teachers, and children should know heading back to school this year. From health concerns for both kids and teachers living with lung disease like asthma — to anxiety over new procedures — learn what to expect returning to school. The webinar covers how Chicago Public Schools is preparing to create a safe learning environment and how parents can help their children navigate these changes.