The Long Beach Alliance The Long Beach Alliance for Children With Asthmafor Children With AsthmaA partnership to improve the lives of children with

asthma in our community

Elisa Nicholas, MD, MSPH2651 Elm Ave Suite 100Long Beach, CA 90806

562-427-4249

LBACALBACA StartedStarted: November 1999: November 1999 Target populationTarget population: 90813 and Long Beach as a : 90813 and Long Beach as a

whole whole Coalition PartnersCoalition Partners: community members, providers, : community members, providers,

two major hospitals, community clinics, LB Health two major hospitals, community clinics, LB Health Dept., school district, child care and after-school Dept., school district, child care and after-school providers, City of Long Beach, community based providers, City of Long Beach, community based organizations, managed care organizations, organizations, managed care organizations, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, legislators, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, legislators, legal resources, environmental justice groups, legal resources, environmental justice groups, ALALAC, apartment associationALALAC, apartment association

Long Beach, CALong Beach, CA Census 2000: Census 2000:

– 45.2% Caucasian45.2% Caucasian– 35.8% Hispanic/Latino35.8% Hispanic/Latino– 14.9% African American14.9% African American– 12% Asian12% Asian

27,000 uninsured children and 80,000 27,000 uninsured children and 80,000 uninsured adults, majority from 90813uninsured adults, majority from 90813

Surrounded by freeways; Ports of Long Beach Surrounded by freeways; Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles; oil refineries; old housing and Los Angeles; oil refineries; old housing stock; high density, particularly in 90813stock; high density, particularly in 90813

Raising Awareness Raising Awareness

Access to many individuals and organizations Access to many individuals and organizations not normally associated with asthma activities - not normally associated with asthma activities - creating “new” asthma stakeholders (CORAL, creating “new” asthma stakeholders (CORAL, Apartment Association, Parks and Rec, Legal Apartment Association, Parks and Rec, Legal Aid, School District, Sierra Club, Physicians for Aid, School District, Sierra Club, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Community Partners Social Responsibility, Community Partners Council)Council)

Networking across broad spectrum of asthma Networking across broad spectrum of asthma stakeholders (school nurses, specialists, general stakeholders (school nurses, specialists, general practitioners, medical assistants, pharmacists, practitioners, medical assistants, pharmacists, ALA)ALA)

Strengths of the coalition approach:

Raising Awareness Raising Awareness

Easier to gain media attention with so many Easier to gain media attention with so many groups representedgroups represented

Layering of resources, building on one Layering of resources, building on one another’s successes and programsanother’s successes and programs

Sending consistent messages from a variety of Sending consistent messages from a variety of sourcessources

Collaboration with groups who share the same Collaboration with groups who share the same media, greater potential for media attention media, greater potential for media attention and funding opportunitiesand funding opportunities

Strengths of the coalition approach:

Raising Awareness Raising Awareness

Increased awareness equals high community Increased awareness equals high community expectations: balancing community’s expectations: balancing community’s expectations with those of staff, funders, and expectations with those of staff, funders, and requirements of the coalition processrequirements of the coalition process

Joint media campaign: targeting diverse and Joint media campaign: targeting diverse and widely dispersed populations; agreeing on widely dispersed populations; agreeing on consistent messagesconsistent messages

Timing of implementation: expectations vs. Timing of implementation: expectations vs. realityreality

Challenges of the coalition approach:

Raising Awareness Raising Awareness

Realistic timelines communicated to all Realistic timelines communicated to all coalition members on regular basiscoalition members on regular basis

Determine tasks/activities that can be Determine tasks/activities that can be accomplished early on to maintain enthusiasm accomplished early on to maintain enthusiasm and engagementand engagement

If something is not achievable (i.e. LAC joint If something is not achievable (i.e. LAC joint media campaign), re-strategize (focus on local media campaign), re-strategize (focus on local community) community)

Solutions:

Community Involvement Community Involvement

Access to many individuals, organizations, asthma Access to many individuals, organizations, asthma stakeholders and “new” asthma stakeholdersstakeholders and “new” asthma stakeholders

Build on the success of partner programs (JCPP)Build on the success of partner programs (JCPP) Ability to offer variety of activities in collaboration Ability to offer variety of activities in collaboration

with partner organizations during planning phaseswith partner organizations during planning phases Bringing diverse groups to the table: community Bringing diverse groups to the table: community

members’ access to decision-makers and members’ access to decision-makers and community’s ability to keep coalition focused on community’s ability to keep coalition focused on daily challenges of living with asthmadaily challenges of living with asthma

Strengths of coalition approach:

Community Involvement Community Involvement

Keeping coalition members, professional and Keeping coalition members, professional and community, engaged throughout the coalition community, engaged throughout the coalition process; balance needs for action vs. processprocess; balance needs for action vs. process

Being ready to utilize coalition members to sustain Being ready to utilize coalition members to sustain engagement and implement activitiesengagement and implement activities

Bridging a variety of levels of understanding, Bridging a variety of levels of understanding, experience and expectations for coalitionexperience and expectations for coalition

Building trust/engaging groups who feel Building trust/engaging groups who feel threatened by coalitionthreatened by coalition

Successfully engaging hard-to-reach populations Successfully engaging hard-to-reach populations and groupsand groups

Challenges of coalition approach:

Community Involvement Community Involvement

Dedicated staff to liaison with and nurture Dedicated staff to liaison with and nurture communitycommunity

Meeting time and places convenient to all Meeting time and places convenient to all groupsgroups

Child care, food and transportation for Child care, food and transportation for meetingsmeetings

Educational opportunities to maintain interest Educational opportunities to maintain interest Use of facilitator to build trust and Use of facilitator to build trust and

understandingunderstanding Creating employment opportunitiesCreating employment opportunities

Solutions