Camp Superkids - a week-long overnight camp for children with asthma.

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects some 13 million Americans (5.1 percent of the population). In the Metropolitan Area alone, nearly 17,000 children and 36,500 adults suffer from asthma. At the only children's hospital in the metro area, asthma is the leading cause of inpatient admissions and the #3 cause of emergency room visits. Hospitalizations for asthma have doubled in adults and increased five-fold among children over the past 20 years. Moreover, minorities are hit especially hard by asthma. Asthma deaths have nearly doubled in the last decade with African-Americans dying at three times the rate of whites. Much is being done to address the problem of asthma in the Metropolitan Louisville area. Many institutions and organizations are working in a variety of ways to tackle this significant lung disease. Yet, working independently, these groups have often seen only limited success in reaching large segments of the community in a uniform and effective way. The Metropolitan Asthma Coalition (MAC) was developed to 1) provide a forum for information exchange among groups and individuals interested in asthma, and 2) begin examining the various problems of asthma in an orderly and systematic way.

VISION

The MAC will become an organization affecting dramatic changes in dealing with asthma by: Influencing health policies through advocacy Improving public and professional systems to respond to asthma Stimulating improved service delivery Ensuring uniform high quality of care Being an inclusive member organization dedicated to improving asthma care

GOALS

The goals of the MAC are to reduce morbidity and mortality and to enhance the quality of life for people with asthma by: Raising awareness of patients, health professionals and the public to the fact that asthma is a serious disease Ensuring the appropriate diagnosis and management of asthma by health professionals Encouraging asthma patients, regardless of income, color, gender, creed, language or disability, to enter into continuing care by facilitating access to such care Encouraging a partnership among patients and health care providers through modern treatment and education programs The MAC provides opportunities for health professionals, health care organizations, community organizations, and asthma patients to share information and resources, and to develop projects individually and together to control asthma. The MAC will not compete with existing programs, but will enhance ongoing efforts and identify opportunities for additional outreach. Coalition members will meet quarterly to share information and resources, however the majority of the coalition's work will be carried out through its Standing Committees.

STANDING COMMITTEES

The following Standing Committees have been organized to address specific issues regarding asthma in the Metropolitan Louisville area: Access to Care Data Management Marketing and Membership Public Education Professional Education School Programs Community and Family Systems Research and Grant As problems become clarified and documented, the MAC will explore solutions. MAC's ultimate and ongoing objective is to be an umbrella program that will guarantee all asthmatics in the Louisville area access to proper treatment and adequate self-management education.

MEMBERSHIP

Individuals and representatives of institutions and organizations interested in asthma will comprise the membership of the MAC. Membership will include physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, educators, researchers, community leaders, and asthma patients and their families. The MAC has four categories of membership: Sponsor Organizational Representative Associate Individual Please contact the MAC for information regarding these categories. The benefits of membership in MAC include: Invitations to quarterly information meetings Opportunities to serve MAC Standing Committees Our quarterly newsletter, MAC NEWS The MAC Resource Directory The latest information on asthma research and programming in the Louisville area The Metropolitan Asthma Coalition was instituted collaboratively by the American Lung Association of Kentucky (ALA/KY) in cooperation with a number of Louisville-area organizations and institutions that have an interest in asthma. If you would like more information about the Metropolitan Asthma Coalition and membership please call (502) 363-2652. Click below for a list of information and programs:

---Choose One--- Camp Superkids Other Asthma Camps Asthma Certificate Program Misconceptions vs. Facts Facts About Asthma Asthma Data and Statistics Asthma Medicines Asthma: You and Your Doctor Peak Flow Meters Peak Flow Chart NHLBI Diagnosis & Treatment Guidelines