Capitol Hill ’11
Wrap-Up
Exhilarating, uplifting, gratifying – this year’s Asthma Awareness Day Capitol Hill on May 4 was a reminder of how we can all work together to make life better for every single person and family living with asthma, allergies and related conditions. Up next: Follow-up with our legislators to make sure allergy and asthma care based on the NIH Asthma Guidelines is the cornerstone of healthcare discussions.
Dedicated friends in Congress… allergists, nurses and respiratory therapists who go the extra mile to bring patient education and quality care to those who need it… success stories like Brooke Curran, who runs in marathons around the world to raise money for charities – and also just happens to have asthma… and Karen Meyerson’s Asthma Network of Western Michigan program that shows how patients’ lives improve when they have access to Guidelines-based… patients and families who still struggle to obtain quality care, such as LaDonna Stanley, whose 13-year-old son Anthony has asthma… sponsors whose services and products make our lives easier – AADCH is about the people who make it happen!
Highlights of the day – stay tuned for more details and photos!
Message to Congress: It’s no mystery – we can end deaths and suffering caused by asthma and allergies if all patients with these conditions have access to NIH Asthma Guidelines-level care. AANMA provided each person at the briefing, including members of Congress and their staff, with a binder chock-full of useful information: “Asthma Impact America: How Congress Can Save Lives and Reduce Healthcare Costs.”
At our Congressional Breakfast Briefing:
-AANMA Founder and President Nancy Sander shared highlights from AANMA’s recent Asthma Impact America survey.
-American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) President Dana Wallace, MD, provided an overview of asthma, allergies and anaphylaxis for new legislators and staff members.
-Karen Meyerson, MSN, RN, FNP-C, AE-C, manager of the Asthma Network of West Michigan (ANWM), a community-based asthma coalition that provides intensive home-based case management services to predominantly low-income children and adults.
-Marathon runner Brooke Curran shared her story of how asthma doesn’t stop her from going the distance.
-LaDonna Stanley spoke about her family’s struggles to make sure her son, Anthony, 13, stays insured so the family can afford his medications and doctor’s visits.
-Members of Congress including Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) – AADCH co-chairs – and former Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter emphasized their support for AANMA’s goals.
-Talal Nsouli, MD, welcomed the audience to attend the free respiratory screenings at the afternoon Allergy & Asthma Expo down the hall from the briefing; ACAAI kicks off its Nationwide Asthma Screening Program at AADCH each year. THANK YOU to Inova Fairfax Hospital Respiratory Care Services!
We got the scoop!
Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) visited the morning briefing to announce legislation she’d proposed just the night before: HR1692, a bill that would provide grants to schools for developing asthma management plans and purchasing inhalers, nebulizers, valved holding chambers and auto-injectable epinephrine in schools.
Students and legislators at AADCH
Kids from Stuart-Hobson Middle School – Anthony’s school! – learned about asthma and allergy basics from AANMA’s Nurse Coordinator, Carol Jones, RN, AE-C, and picked up exercise tips from Brooke Curran at the Allergy & Asthma Expo. Several students said they have asthma or trouble breathing sometimes, so AANMA made sure they had helpful information to take home and show their parents. Also, longtime AADCH supporter Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) stopped by the Allergy & Asthma Expo and talked with TV reporters.
Bustin’ a move at the Allergy & Asthma Expo
This year’s Allergy & Asthma Expo featured something new and fun: our “Fit to Breathe” exercise station, where attendees could find information about exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB) and hear exercise tips from athletes Brooke Curran, professional dancer (and AANMA Assistant Project Manager) Taurean Barber and nationally ranked high school diver Cory Bowersox. The athletes also led demonstrations of Wii Fit running and dance games.
Hear all about it!
-News of the day appeared in the morning on WUSA (CBS Channel 9), WTTG (FOX Channel 5) and TBD (ABC Channel 8).
-TV news cameras and reporters stationed themselves on the floor of our Allergy & Asthma Expo, capturing interviews with Nancy Sander… Dr. Wallace… Dr. Nsouli… Brooke Curran… Anthony Thompson, Jr. … and more!
-Major news outlets that covered the day live from the scene include ABC, NBC, Voice of America and Reuters!
–> Get involved where you live: Contact Sandra Fusco-Walker, AANMA’s Director of Patient Advocacy, to help AANMA’s advocacy efforts: sfwalker@aanma.org. Volunteer in one of AANMA’s many community outreach programs – contact Taurean Barber, Assistant Project Manager, at tbarber@aanma.org.
–> We love to hear from you! Did you ask your Congressional representative to support AADCH? Do you have a story to share about your or your family’s experience living with asthma, allergies or a related condition? E-mail editor@aanma.org.
THANK YOU to our AADCH ’11 sponsors!
–>Hundreds of patients took AANMA’s Asthma Impact America Survey. Their responses highlight the physical, emotional and financial challenges families with asthma and allergies face and importance of access to NIH Guidelines-level care for all patients. Hear more about survey results at AADCH!
–>3 states still need anaphylaxis laws: New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. AANMA worked with volunteers and legislators in all 50 states to make sure students with asthma and allergies can carry their life-saving medications with them at school. Last year we celebrated success on the asthma front – but three states still need to pass legislation protecting students’ rights to carry their prescribed auto-injectable epinephrine with them in case of anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.
Live in one of these states? You can help! Contact Sandra at sfwalker@aanma.org to talk about how you can get involved. Everyday people got these laws passed (just ask Sandra, mom of a child with asthma who got her start in advocacy with the help of “Congress for Dummies”). Help save lives – start today!
See highlights of last year’s Asthma Awareness Day Capitol Hill!
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