Cooperative Agreement 02F51601

DESCRIPTION:THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING TO LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. SPECIFICALLY, THE RECIPIENT WILL FUND VIRTUAL HOME VISITS WITH CERTIFIED ASTHMA EDUCATORS, CONDUCT INDOOR AIR QUALITY MONITORING, AND CONDUCT IN-PERSON HOME ASSESSMENTS. THE PROGRAM OBJECTIVE IS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY HOMES TO IMPROVE ASTHMA OUTCOMES IN VULNERABLE LOUISIANA COMMUNITIES. LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WILL PARTNER WITH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPROVE REFERRALS TO THE PROGRAM TO HELP THOSE MOST AFFECTED BY ASTHMA AND TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO PARTNERS TO ADVOCATE FOR POLICY CHANGE TO IMPROVE HOUSING QUALITY IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, THEREBY REDUCING THE DISPARITY OF THE STATE'S ASTHMA BURDEN.ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE CONDUCTING VIRTUAL HOME VISITS IN BOSSIER, CADDO, CALCASIEU, EAST BATON ROUGE, JEFFERSON, AND ORLEANS PARISHES WITH CERTIFIED ASTHMA EDUCATORS, INDOOR HOME ASSESSMENTS THAT COLLECT INDOOR AND OUTDOOR AIR QUALITY DATA, COMMUNITY OUTREACH THROUGH PROJECT PARTNERS WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF IMPROVING AWARENESS OF THE LINK BETWEEN INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND ASTHMA, AND CONDUCTING A HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT.SUBRECIPIENT:THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AG CENTER WILL ANALYZE AIR QUALITY DATA AND PROVIDE AN ASTHMA EDUCATOR WITH AN ESTABLISHED BACKGROUND IN HEALTHY HOMES EDUCATION TO PROVIDE IN-PERSON ASSESSMENTS AND VIRTUAL HOME VISITS FOR PARTICIPANTS IN NORTHWEST LOUISIANA. THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING WILL PROVIDE SUPPORT ON INSTALLING AIR MONITORS AND ANALYZING COLLECTED DATA AS PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO PROVIDE A HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT. THE NEW ORLEANS HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL ASSIST WITH HOME ASSESSMENTS, SETTING UP INDOOR MONITORS AND MONITORING OUTDOOR AIR. LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WILL PARTNER WITH OUR LADY OF THE LAKE HOSPITAL, INC.(OLOL), A 501(C)(3) IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, WHO WILL PROVIDE VIRTUAL HOME VISITS THAT INCLUDE HEATHY HOMES AND ASTHMA EDUCATION. OLOL WILL ALSO PROVIDE 300 COPIES OF THEIR ASTHMA EDUCATION BOOKLET FOR BREATHE PARTICIPANTS. THE LOUISIANA CENTER FOR HEALTH EQUITY WILL SERVE AS A STRATEGIC PARTNER ON PROJECT ACTIVITIES INVOLVING COMMUNITY OUTREACH, INCLUDING PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION; ACT AS A LIAISON TO COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS; PARTICIPATE IN ORGANIZING, AND LENDING EXPERTISE AND INPUT TOWARDS COMMUNITY-LEVEL INITIATIVES. THE MOVE PROJECT WILL PRODUCE AND RECORD INTERVIEWS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE BREATHE PROGRAM. HOUSINGNOLA WILL PROVIDE LEGAL EXPERTISE REGARDING HOUSING POLICIES, SERVE AS A REFERRAL BASE FOR PARTICIPANTS WITH ASTHMA, AND PROVIDE A FOCUS GROUP COMPRISED OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK FOR EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS CREATED. LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WILL PARTNER WITH GREEN AND HEALTHY HOMES INITIATIVE FOR TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON HEALTHY HOMES TOPICS AND PROGRAMMING. THE COLLABORATIVE DESIGN WORKSHOP WILL PROVIDE HOME ASSESSMENTS IN NEW ORLEANS, EDUCATION TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES, AND ANNUAL WORKSHOPS TO BRING TOGETHER ARCHITECTURE, POLICYMAKERS, HEALTH ADVOCATES, AND COMMUNITY CHANGE MAKERS. OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE 300 VIRTUAL HOME VISITS CONDUCTED BY CERTIFIED ASTHMA EDUCATORS; 150 INDOOR HOME ASSESSMENTS THAT WILL EVALUATE BUILDING MATERIALS AND HEATING VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING STYLE AND WILL COLLECT INDOOR AIR QUALITY DATA FOR THE POLLUTANTS: NITROGEN DIOXIDE, OZONE, VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS, CARBON MONOXIDE, CARBON DIOXIDE AND PARTICULATE MATTER 2.5 AS WELL AS OUTDOOR AIR QUALITY DATA; HOLD INTERDISCIPLINARY EVENTS TO DISCUSS HOW TO ENCOURAGE AND DEVELOP HEALTHY HOUSING IN LOUISIANA; AND CONDUCT A HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE PROMOTION OF HEALTH HOMES TO IMPROVE ASTHMA OUTCOMES IN VULNERABLE LOUISIANA COMMUNITIES, TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY BY INCREASING DATA THAT WOULD LEAD TO IMPROVED POLICIES AND ASTHMA OUTCOMES, AND TO IMPROVE AWARENESS OF THE LINK BETWEEN INDOO