Bulletin Board
November 10, 2024
Asthma Research Insight
Our Asthma Management Coach Leandra Tonweber, PA-C, AE-C, recently shared her perspective to Healio.com about a recent study showing frequent asthma attacks can lead to higher corticosteroid doses. Leandra says the use of asthma self-management programs can help patients get a better understanding of their asthma, treatments, and correct medication use.
A ‘Rising Star’
We are honored to earn recognition for our commitment to fostering nonprofit leadership and health equity. Tori Martel, MPH, Senior Public Health Communications Manager, won the Rising Star of the Year award at the Ragan Communications and PR Daily CSR & Diversity Awards. Our Trusted Messengers program was also a finalist for a Public Health or Safety Initiative award.
Health Insurance Decisions
What to do if you have difficulty affording the asthma and allergy care you need? Allergy & Asthma Network partnered with the National Association of Medication Access & Patient Advocacy (NAMAPA) to develop a new Health Insurance Toolkit, sponsored by Amgen. The Toolkit helps you advocate for yourself when dealing with health insurance providers
Bulletin Board
October 6, 2024
Patient-Centered Research
Allergy & Asthma Network spearheaded an online survey of parents and caregivers in 2023 to learn if children’s fear of needles impacted healthcare decisions. Most preferred sublingual tablets (SLIT) over allergy shots when undergoing allergen immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis. The survey results continue the Network’s mission to lead more parent-centered research.
‘Excited’ for Epi Nasal Spray
CEO Lynda Mitchell spoke with Healio.com about the FDA approval of neffy®, the first epinephrine nasal spray. Allergy & Asthma Network is “getting the word out” about neffy and the response from the allergy community has been extremely positive, Lynda says. “Patients, families and healthcare professionals are excited to have a new treatment option.”
September Asthma Peak
It’s the time of year when asthma flares tend to spike, and our podcasters Payel Gupta, MD and Kortney Kwong Hing have you covered with a new podcast episode. We also asked Renee Matthews, MD to produce TikTok videos on managing asthma in the fall. And we have a new infographic available for download.
Bulletin Board
August 23, 2024
Trusted Messengers at Work
Our Trusted Messengers bilingual asthma educators traveled to Central Pennsylvania in June for a 2-day employer-sponsored health fair. They hosted asthma and allergy screenings and distributed English and Spanish patient education resources. More than 1,900 employees attended. Asthma educators follow up with employees to invite them to enroll in our free Asthma Coaching Program.
Epi Nasal Spray Study
Allergy & Asthma Network national spokesperson Purvi Parikh, MD, provided perspective to Healio on a recent study showing epinephrine nasal sprays can enhance the absorption – and effectiveness – of the medication, even during times of nasal congestion. “These findings are significant and surprising,” Dr. Parikh says.
Excellence in Respiratory Care
Chief Research Officer De De Gardner has once again been honored by the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) as a Distinguished CHEST Educator. The national recognition honors De De for excellence in continuing medical education and recognizes her for leadership, development and delivery of patient education. De De will be honored at the CHEST Annual Meeting in Boston in October.
Bulletin Board
August 6, 2024
Trusted Messengers in Indy
Our Trusted Messengers Community Outreach continues with its 9th event of 2024. Our asthma educators Leandra Tonweber, PA-C, and Catherine Blackwell, RN, were in Indianapolis on June 29-30 for the Indiana Black & Minority Health Fair. They connected with the local community, surveyed attendees about asthma, and gave away free health resources. People with asthma were invited to enroll in our free 6-week virtual asthma coaching program.
Food Allergy Disparities
Allergy & Asthma Network has partnered with Genentech to help raise awareness of food allergies in Black and Hispanic/Latino communities. Our Black People Like Me and Unidos Hablemos virtual conference series spotlighted disparities in food allergy care. We recently launched a podcast series on the impact of food allergy in Black and Hispanic/Latino communities.
Spotlighting Asthma Research
Chief Research Officer De De Gardner showcased the latest findings from Allergy & Asthma Network research initiatives at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in San Diego. De De presented abstracts of two surveys that addressed patient experiences during asthma flares and the impact of race and socioeconomic factors on adverse health outcomes. The research will help refine future research projects and expand our impact.
Bulletin Board
July 1, 2024
Health Equity Heroes
Allergy & Asthma Network CEO Lynda Mitchell highlighted the impact of our Trusted Messengers program and how virtual asthma coaching improves asthma control during a recent Health Equity Heroes event in Washington, DC, sponsored by Sanofi. Sanofi is a founding partner of Trusted Messengers, which aims to improve access to care in under-resourced communities.
Epi AADCH Impact
Spray Study
More than 125 advocates joined us in Washington, DC, on May 8 for our annual Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill (AADCH) advocacy event. They met with 130 legislators and/or their staff in support of asthma and allergy legislation before Congress. Online, we had 914 advocates send 2,100+ emails to House and Senate offices. Check out more AADCH media coverage.
Asthma Equity Explorer
Chief Research Officer De De Gardner and Health Data Analyst Mitu Patel highlighted the new Asthma Equity Explorer research database in a recent Healio.com interview. The “robust” platform allows researchers and health professionals to examine how social determinants of health can impact asthma outcomes on national, state and local levels.
Bulletin Board
June 3, 2024
Trusted Messengers In Action
Our Trusted Messengers Community Outreach team was in Washington, DC and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in April, conducting screening surveys for asthma, food allergies and eczema and offering free resources. People with asthma are invited to enroll in our free virtual asthma coaching program. In 2024, we plan to engage in at least 20 community outreach events nationwide – from L.A. to Dallas to NYC.
Support for Affordable Inhalers
Our CEO Lynda Mitchell was interviewed by Healio on the decision by several drug companies to cap out-of-pocket costs for asthma and COPD inhalers at $35 per month. “More voluntary price controls like this will help ensure people with asthma and COPD get the medication they need and treatment they deserve without having to bear the high costs,” Mitchells says.
Asthma Research Scholarship
Allergy & Asthma Network is proud to sponsor a $500 Patient Advisory Roundtable (PAR) abstract scholarship to asthma researcher Kritika Khanna, MD. Dr. Khanna will present her research abstract on severe asthma at the 2024 American Thoracic Society International Conference in May. We are honored to be a PAR member bringing the patient perspective to the conference.
Bulletin Board
April 29, 2024
Trusted Messengers is Back!
Our Trusted Messengers community outreach was back in action March 2 at the Black Health Matters Winter 2024 Health Summit & Expo in Atlanta. Leandra Tonweber, PA-C, and Catherine Blackwell, RN, connected with the Atlanta community, surveyed attendees, and gave away free resources. People with asthma were invited to enroll in our free 6-week virtual asthma coaching program.
Atopic Dermatitis Abstracts
Chief Research Officer De De Gardner served as a co-author for two atopic dermatitis studies that examined the benefits and risks of topical treatments and systemic treatments, including topical corticosteroids, JAK inhibitors and biologics. The first-of-its-kind study can be used to inform doctor-patient discussions and for future research.
AADCH Speakers Announced
Our 27th annual advocacy day on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC is Wednesday, May 8. We are excited to welcome U.S. Reps. David Valadao (CA) and Debbie Dingell (MI), our Congressional Asthma & Allergy Caucus co-chairs, as scheduled speakers at AADCH. There’s still time to register for AADCH – advocate for key healthcare legislation.
Bulletin Board
March 26, 2024
AAN Receives NIH Sub-Award
Allergy & Asthma Network and Blue Marble Health are collaborating on a new virtual asthma coaching platform, with funding support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). AAN will use Blue Marble’s BREATHE virtual platform for asthma self-management education, with a focus on under-resourced communities.
Affordable Asthma Inhalers
CEO Lynda Mitchell recently spoke with The Lancet Respiratory Medicine about the U.S. Senate investigation into the cost of asthma inhalers. Ensuring access and affordability of medications is one of Allergy & Asthma Network’s key advocacy initiatives. “We support price caps on inhalers,” Lynda says, adding that AAN will monitor if there’s an impact on availability.
Advancing Disparities Research
Allergy & Asthma Network partnered with MITRE on the new Asthma Equity Explorer, a free web-based platform that disseminates data on asthma prevalence and disparities in the United States. Researchers and health professionals can examine how social determinants of health impact asthma outcomes on national, state and local levels.
Bulletin Board
February 27, 2024
Severe Asthma Study Insight
Medical Advisor Vickram Tejwani, MD, and Asthma Coach Leandra Tonweber, PA-C, AE-C, offered their perspective on an eosinophilic asthma study examining the reduced use of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) among people taking the biologic benralizumab. Dr. Tejwani told Healio.com the findings were “significant” and offer data to support reducing ICS in people who respond well to biologic therapy.
Support for New EPIPEN Act
Allergy & Asthma Network is among patient advocacy groups supporting the EPIPEN Act introduced in Congress by Rep. Maxwell Frost (FL). The legislation would put a price cap on epinephrine auto-injectors. “High out-of-pocket costs for these potentially life-saving medications put Americans with severe allergies at risk for poor health outcomes and deepen health inequities,” CEO Lynda Mitchell says.
Newly Updated Poster for 2024
Our popular Respiratory Treatments poster is newly updated for 2024 – and available now! It contains the newest asthma and COPD medications, including AirSupra®. The poster offers a comparison of the various treatment options, helps doctors and patients easily identify inhalers, and is a great reference for patient education. It’s available in both English and Spanish.
Bulletin Board
January 23, 2024
Shared Decision-Making Study
Allergy & Asthma Network conducted a survey of allergists and patients last year to gauge awareness of Shared Decision-Making (SDM). The survey also aimed to find out what barriers impact SDM use in clinical settings. Among the survey findings: most allergists and patients understand SDM, but did not often use available tools and may need guidance on how to use them.
Trusted Messengers Impact
Allergy & Asthma Network is proud to share the latest results of its signature health equity initiative, Trusted Messengers. Trusted Messengers uses innovative health technology to achieve health equity through its Virtual Asthma Coaching Program. The coaching program has demonstrated improvements in asthma control and quality of life that is sustained at 7-month and 13-month follow-ups.
TikTok and Epi Poster
Tori Martel, our Digital Projects and Social Media Community Manager, presented a poster on epinephrine auto-injector needle fears in TikTik videos during the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Annual Scientific Meeting Nov. 9-13. The popularity of the videos – they totaled 5+ million “likes” – represents an opportunity to address patient education on epinephrine.
