Milwaukee is seeking to increase the percentage of schools requiring
that all school staff members receive training on recognizing and responding to severe asthma
symptoms that require immediate action, as a part of annual staff development.
Activities
- Collaborate with Fight Asthma Milwaukee (FAM) Allies to schedule an “Asthma Basics
For Schools” presentation and online professional development module for all new school staff.
- Provide a district-wide training for school nurses/registered nurses that addresses
recognizing and responding to severe asthma symptoms.
- Conduct monthly meetings with targeted schools to provide asthma best practices
updates for school nurses/registered nurses.
Milwaukee is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that
identify students with poorly controlled asthma by keeping track of them in at least three
of the following ways:
- Frequent absences from school.
- Frequent visits to the school health office due to asthma.
- Frequent asthma symptoms at school.
- Frequent nonparticipation in physical education class due to asthma.
- Students sent home early due to asthma.
- Calls from school to 911 or other local emergency numbers due to asthma.
Activities
- Provide training for physical education teachers working in targeted schools on how to
track students with frequent nonparticipation in physical education class due to asthma episodes.
- Train school nurses of targeted schools on how to track students with frequent acute
asthma episodes.
- Collaborate with school nurses of targeted schools to develop strategies on how to
contact parents of students with frequent asthma episodes to encourage follow-up with
a healthcare provider.
Milwaukee is seeking to increase the percentage of schools that
provide intensive case management for students with poorly controlled asthma at school. These
intensive services should include all of the following:
- Providing referrals to primary healthcare clinicians or child health insurance programs.
- Ensuring an appropriate written asthma action plan is obtained.
- Ensuring access to and appropriate use of asthma medications, spacers, and peak flow meters at school.
- Offering asthma education for the student with asthma and his or her family.
- Minimizing asthma triggers in the school environment.
- Addressing social and emotional issues related to asthma.
- Providing additional psychosocial counseling or support services as needed.
- Ensuring access to safe, enjoyable physical education and activity.
- Ensuring access to preventive medications before physical activity.
Activities
- Collaborate and coordinate with local clinics and hospitals to ensure delivery of
asthma action plans to school nurses.
- Collaborate with physical educators, nursing supervisors, and FAM Allies to distribute
referrals for home nursing visits.
- Engage students most affected by asthma in the Open Airways program.
- Promote new bus anti-idling policy throughout the school district by engaging local media.
