Breathe Pennsylvania

BREATHE PENNSYLVANIA'S MISSION IS TO EMPOWER WESTERN PENNSYLVANIANS TO BREATHE BETTER AND LIVE HEALTHIER THROUGH EDUCATION AND AWARENESS OF LUNG HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITY.

LUNG DISEASE EDUCATION- IN 2021-22 BREATHE PA'S SCHOOL ASTHMA INITIATIVE PROVIDED SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY-BASED ASTHMA EDUCATION IN 7 SCHOOL DISTRICTS (15 SCHOOLS), DISTRIBUTED 120 STUDENT ASTHMA TOOL KITS TO FAMILIES OF CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA AND TRAINED 17 PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS IN THE FIELD OF NURSING OR RESPIRATORY CARE. BREATHE PA ASTHMA NCPD CLASSES "CURRENT ASTHMA CLASSIFICATION/TREATMENT GUIDELINES AND BREATH SOUNDS TRAINING AND "STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS ALLERGIES' IMPACT ON STUDENTS WITH ASTHMA" WAS COMPLETED BY 24 SCHOOL NURSES REPRESENTING 15 SCHOOLS (15 DISTRICTS), ISSUING NURSES A TOTAL OF 72 NCPD/ACT 48 CREDITS. ONE BACK-TO-SCHOOL WEBINAR AND TWO FACEBOOK LIVE EVENTS HELPED TO BUILD A VIRTUAL NETWORK OF 116 PARENTS AND GUARDIANS OF CHILDREN WITH ASTHMA. ALLERGY, ASTHMA, AND INCLUSION TRAINING WAS COMPLETED BY 32 EARLY LEARNING PRACTITIONERS REPRESENTING 6 COUNTIES, ISSUING A TOTAL OF 36 ACT 48 CREDITS. COMMUNITY ASTHMA EDUCATOR TRAINING WAS PROVIDED TO 6 ALLEGHENY COUNTY MEMBERS THAT INCLUDED HOME VISITORS, RRT, SCHOOL NURSE AND PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE. DIRECT LUNG DISEASE EDUCATION WAS PROVIDED TO 413 INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE WHO ATTENDED EDUCATION SESSIONS AT 14 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT OUR SERVICE AREA. THESE INDIVIDUAL OR SMALL-GROUP EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTIONS HELP PEOPLE BETTER MANAGE THEIR RESPIRATORY CONDITION. IN THE SESSIONS, INDIVIDUALS LEARN ABOUT MEDICATIONS, DEVICES USED TO DELIVER MEDICATIONS, DISEASE PROCESSES, THE CARE AND CLEANING OF EQUIPMENT, HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES. BREATHE PA HELD THE 8TH ANNUAL TUBERCULOSIS CONFERENCE VIRTUALLY ON MARCH 15TH, 2022. THERE WAS A TOTAL OF 269 ATTENDEES WITH 166 NURSING CREDITS AND 52 RESPIRATORY CREDITS HANDED OUT. BREATHE PA PROVIDED A LYFT RIDE TO THE ALLEGHENY HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR A PATIENT TO RECEIVE TB TESTING AND 50 PARKING VOUCHERS FOR PATIENTS RECEIVING TB TREATMENT. TO SUPPORT PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS WITH SLEEP APNEA SCREENING TOOLS AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, BREATHE PA PROVIDED 9 EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE BOXES TO PRIMARY CARE OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE AREA. BREATHE PA PROVIDED SLEEP APNEA PATIENT ASSISTANCE TO 7 PATIENTS. THERE WERE 3 SLEEP GROUPS PROVIDED VIRTUALLY WITH A TOTAL ATTENDANCE OF 35 PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS, AND PROFESSIONALS.

TOBACCO EDUCATION AND CESSATION - STAFF/ADMINISTRATION TRAINING - THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR PRIMARY, SECONDARY, AND HIGHER EDUCATION STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO TOBACCO AND NICOTINE EDUCATION. ALL ASPECTS OF TOBACCO AND NICOTINE USE ARE ADDRESSED, INCLUDING CIGARETTES, SMOKELESS TOBACCO, ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES, MARIJUANA, HOOKAH, CIGARS, AND PIPES. USING A VARIETY OF VISUALS, SCHOOL STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS LEARN HOW TO IDENTIFY DEVICES AND THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF NICOTINE. 2,000 INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATED IN THE STAFF/ADMINISTRATION TRAINING. CESSATION- SMOKELESS SATURDAY IS AN ALTERNATIVE OR COMPLEMENT TO FINE OR SUSPENSION FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN FOUND WITH TOBACCO OR NICOTINE PRODUCTS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY. IT IS A HALF-DAY, DIVERSIONARY PROGRAM THAT INFORMS STUDENTS ABOUT ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR TOBACCO USE AND TEACHES THEM HOW TO QUIT. STUDENTS ARE REFERRED TO THE PROGRAM BY SCHOOL PERSONNEL, DISTRICT JUDGES, OR PARENTS. SMOKELESS SATURDAY SERVED 854 (1,163 REFERRED) STUDENTS IN THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR. SMOKE FREE FOR LIFE IS AN EIGHT-CHAPTER ADULT CESSATION PROGRAM THAT CAN BE HELD IN THE COMMUNITY OR WORKPLACE. IT ADDRESSES EVERY ASPECT OF TOBACCO USE, AND TEACHES PARTICIPANTS HOW TO QUIT AND REMAIN TOBACCO FREE FOR A LIFETIME. 50 FACILITATORS WERE TRAINED TO CONDUCT SMOKE FREE FOR LIFE CLASSES, WHILE APPROXIMATELY 100 PARTICIPANTS WENT THROUGH THE SMOKE FREE FOR LIFE CESSATION PROGRAM IN THE 2021-22 FISCAL YEAR. THROUGH GENERAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS, CESSATION SERVICES WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO MORE THAN 1500 WESTERN PENNSYLVANIANS.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH - BREATHE PA PROVIDED OVER $41,000 IN ASSISTANCE TO INDIVIDUALS WITH COPD AND ASTHMA IN THE FORM OF AIR CONDITIONERS, MEDICATION, AND PULMONARY REHABILITATION ASSISTANCE. 17 SCHOOLS RECEIVED NURSE TOOL KITS WITH BACK UP ALBUTEROL FOR THE SCHOOL NURSE OFFICE. THE BREATHING IN THE 'BURGH 2022 COPD CRUISE, AN EVENT FOR CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE PATIENTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS, WAS ATTENDED BY 61 PERSONS WITH CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE AND THEIR GUESTS/CAREGIVERS, BREATHE PA STAFF AND VENDORS/SPEAKERS. INDIVIDUAL SPONSORSHIP FROM 5 ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDED $3899 TOWARDS THE COST OF THE EVENT.