Project Grant 00A00802

DESCRIPTION:THE PURPOSE OF THIS COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT IS TO BUILD CAPACITY AND SUPPORT COLLABORATION TO REDUCE THE BURDEN OF ASTHMA ACROSS NEW ENGLAND. THESE FUNDS WILL BE USED TO BUILD KNOWLEDGE, IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES, AND STRENGTHEN CROSS-STATE COLLABORATIONS AND REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS TO ADDRESS THE ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES AND TRIGGERS FOR ASTHMA, AND WORK COLLECTIVELY WITH A FOCUS ON REDUCING ASTHMA HEALTH INEQUITIES TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYONE LIVING WITH ASTHMA IN NEW ENGLAND. RECOGNIZING THE MANY DIFFICULT IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, THIS PROJECT WILL IDENTIFY AND REFLECT ON THESE CHALLENGES AND, WHEN POSSIBLE, ACT AS A GROUP TO ADDRESS THEM. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE CONTINUING TO INCREASE CAPACITY OF THE NE STATE ASTHMA PROGRAMS BY CONVENING AND SUPPORTING ASTHMA REGIONAL COUNCIL'S LEARNING COMMUNITY, ORGANIZING A NEW ENGLAND-WIDE SUMMIT, BROADLY FOCUSED ON LESSONS, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES, AND CONTINUING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL DIALOGUE, SHARING EXPERIENCES FROM NEW ENGLAND IN CONVERSATIONS AND BEST PRACTICES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY FOCUSED ON ASTHMA ACTIVITIES:OBJECTIVE 1: COORDINATE THE SIX NEW ENGLAND STATE ASTHMA PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT/INCREASE REGIONAL COLLABORATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING. OBJECTIVE 2: PLAN AND HOLD ONE ASTHAMA REGIONAL COUNCIL'S SUMMIT FOR STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS AND OTHER MULTI-SECTOR STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE SIX NEW ENGLAND STATES TO BUILD KNOWLEDGE ABOUT STRATEGIES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR COLLABORATION TO OPTIMIZE ASTHMA OUTCOMES AND PROMOTE RACIAL/HEALTH EQUITY COMING OUT OF COVID OBJECTIVE 3: LEADERSHIP/PARTICIPATION IN CHILDHOOD ASTHMA REGIONAL COALITION AND COMMUNITY OF PRACTICESUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:OBJECTIVE 1: CONTINUE TO INCREASE CAPACITY OF THE NEW ENGLAND STATE ASTHMA PROGRAMS BY CONVENING AND SUPPORTING ASTHMA REGIONAL COUNCIL'S LEARNING COMMUNITY. OUTPUTS INCLUDE: 1) SIX BI-MONTHLY VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND/OR TRAININGS; 2) ONE ALL-DAY IN-PERSON CONVENING WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE SIX NEW ENGLAND STATE ASTHMA PROGRAMS; AND 3) TECHNICAL ASSISTANTS PROVIDED TO INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS, AS NEEDED. FOR ALL OUTPUTS, THIS WILL INVOLVE CONTINUING TO 'UNPACK' EACH STATES' FIVE-YEAR ASTHMA STRATEGIC PLAN, SUBMITTED TO THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL IN 2021, AND STRATEGIZE ON HOW TO MOVE FORWARD. EACH STATE'S PLAN HAS SOME COMBINATION OF OBJECTIVES FOCUSING ON HEALTHY HOUSING, HEALTHY SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY-CLINICAL LINKAGES (INCLUDING BUILDING CAPACITY AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR ASTHMA HOME VISITING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS), AND/OR OUTDOOR AIR QUALITY, WITH PROMOTING RACIAL AND HEALTH EQUITY AS A CROSSCUTTING GUIDING PRINCIPLE. ARC WILL FACILITATE THE SHARING OF IDEAS, TOOLS, LEARNINGS, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL AS ORGANIZE TRAININGS ON A FEW TOPICS SPECIFIC TO THEIR NEEDS. OBJECTIVE 2: ORGANIZE A NEW ENGLAND-WIDE ASTHMA REGIONAL COUNCIL SUMMIT, BROADLY FOCUSED ON LESSONS, CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES. THE EXACT THEME WILL BE DETERMINED WITH THE ASTHMA REGIONAL COUNCIL LEARNING COMMUNITY. OUTPUTS WILL INCLUDE: 1) PLANNING COMMITTEE, WITH 2- 6 PARTICIPANTS, CONVENED TWO TO FOUR TIMES TO HELP TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES, EFFECTIVE SPEAKERS, AND TARGET AUDIENCE FOR ATTENDANCE; 2) ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN TO IDENTIFY PROJECTS/SPEAKERS TO HIGHLIGHT; 3) SUMMIT HELD WITH 50-80 IN ATTENDANCE FROM STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, ASTHMA COALITIONS, ACADEMICS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, AND OTHER MULTI-SECTOR STAKEHOLDERS WORKING ON ISSUES RELATED TO ASTHMA. THE SUMMIT WILL SHOWCASE INNOVATIVE PRACTICES AND PROJECTS FROM NEW ENGLAND AND NATIONALLY, AS WELL AS TOOLS, AND STRUCTURED TIME FOR PEER SHARING 4) SLIDES FROM THE SUMMIT MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE ASTHMA COMMUNITY NETWORK WEBSITE; AND 5) ATTENDEES ENCOURAGED TO JOIN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'