The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) will collaborate with strategic partners, such as the American Lung Association (ALA), to advance health equity in asthma control by implementing EXHALE strategies. DPH will execute a multi sector approach to implement four EXHALE strategies: Linkages and coordination of care across settings; Environmental policies or best practices to reduce asthma triggers from indoor, outdoor, and occupational sources; Education on asthma self-management; and, Home visits for trigger reduction and asthma self-management education. DPH will partner with health care providers, community-based organizations, youth-serving organizations, and subject matter experts to coordinate asthma care and management by facilitating linkages across school and community settings, using school nurses and other trained school personnel, promoting coordinated care for youth with asthma. DPH will also collaborate with community partners and healthcare systems to support adults living with a chronic lung disease, such as asthma, linking community and health care across settings. DPH will champion environmental policies or best practices to reduce asthma triggers from indoor, outdoor, and occupational sources, by using a new ALA framework for creating lung friendly environments for youth in schools to enhance school health policies and practices for student, as well as enhancing education and partnering with Delaware schools to improve indoor air quality policies and practices in school environments. DPH will also augment promotion of the Clean Indoor Air Act.
DPH will work with community partners and subject matter experts to expand access to and the delivery of asthma self-management education by providing professional development to school personnel on asthma management and control topics. DPH will also work with community partners to support Community Health Workers (CHWs) to serve as vital links between healthcare and the community, to address social determinants contributing to poor air quality and asthma triggers. DPH will also partner with health care providers and CHWs to expand access to and the delivery of home visits for asthma trigger reduction and asthma self-management education.
DPH will work diligently to build capacity and sustainability in Delaware to advance health equity in asthma control through EXHALE strategies as defined in the application.