TESTIMONY  OF  NIKITA  VASHI
ON  BEHALF  OF  THE  CHICAGO  ASTHMA  CONSORTIUM  (CAC)
BEFORE  THE  ILLINOIS  STATE  HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES
ELEMENTARY  &  SECONDARY  EDUCATION:  SCHOOL
CURRICULUM  &  POLICIES  COMMITTEE
REGARDING  HOUSE  BILL  HR545:  THE  ASTHMA  911  ACT
April  28,  2015
CHAIRWOMAN  GOLAR,  VICE-­‐CHAIRWOMAN  LAVIA,  MEMBERS  OF  THE
COMMITTEE:  THANK  YOU  ALL  FOR  THE  OPPORTUNITY  TO  TESTIFY  TODAY  IN
SUPPORT  OF  HOUSE  BILL  HR545,  THE  ASTHMA  911  ACT.  MY  NAME  IS  NIKITA
VASHI  AND,  AS  A  PUBLIC  HEALTH  STUDENT  ESPECIALLY  CONCERNED  FOR  THE
HEALTH  OF  OUR  ASTHMATIC  CHILDREN,  I  AM  HONORED  TO  REPRESENT  THE
CHICAGO  ASTHMA  CONSORTIUM  (CAC)  TODAY.  BEFORE  I  CONTINUE,  I  WANT  TO
ACKNOWLEDGE  REPRESENTATIVE  MICHELLE  MUSSMAN,  HERE  TODAY  AS  AN
INTEGRAL  MEMBER  OF  THIS  COMMITTEE,  FOR  HER  UNWAVERING  SUPPORT  OF
THIS  IMPORTANT  ISSUE.    SHE  HAS  BEEN  A  VITAL  ADVOCATE  FOR  THE  HEALTH
AND  SAFETY  OF  OUR  SCHOOLCHILDREN  AND  SHE  CONTINUES  TO  COLLABORATE
WITH  THE  CHICAGO  ASTHMA  CONSORTIUM  AND  OUR  MANY  PARTNERS  ON
SCHOOL  HEALTH  INITIATIVES.    THANK  YOU,  REPRESENTATIVE  MUSSMAN,  FOR
YOUR  EXEMPLARY  SERVICE.
DESPITE  ADVANCES  IN  PUBLIC  POLICY,  ASTHMA  CONTINUES  TO  BE  THE
LEADING  CAUSE  OF  CHRONIC  DISEASE  AMONG  YOUTH.  RECENT  ESTIMATES
CONCLUDE  THAT  7  MILLION  CHILDREN  SUFFER  FROM  THIS  DEBILITATING
DISEASE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES.  FURTHER,  WITH  ITS  PROPENSITY  TO  AFFECT
URBAN  AND  IMPOVERISHED  POPULATIONS,  ASTHMA  CAN  BE  CONSIDERED  ONE
OF  THE  GREAT  PUBLIC  HEALTH  DISPARITIES  OF  OUR  TIME.  I  WON’T  ELABORATE
ON  THE  STATISTICS  HERE,  AS  MY  COLLEAGUE,  DR.  RUCHI  GUPTA,  A  PHYSICIAN
WITH  THE  CENTER  FOR  COMMUNITY  HEALTH  AT  NORTHWESTERN  UNIVERSITY
AND  A  LEADING  EXPERT  ON  CHILDHOOD  ASTHMA,  WILL  OUTLINE  THE  DETAILS
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IN  JUST  A  MOMENT.  FOR  NOW,  SUFFICE  IT  TO  SAY  THAT  CHILDHOOD  ASTHMA  IS
STILL  A  SERIOUS  PUBLIC  HEALTH  PROBLEM.
OF  PARTICULAR  CONCERN  IS  THE  FACT  THAT  CHILDREN  WITH  ASTHMA
SPEND  A  SIGNIFICANT  PART  OF  THEIR  DAY  AT  SCHOOL,  AWAY  FROM  PARENTS
OR  CAREGIVERS  WHO  UNDERSTAND  THEIR  HEALTH  NEEDS  AND  CAN
ADEQUATELY  RESPOND  TO  AN  ASTHMA  EMERGENCY.  WHILE  POLICIES  ARE  IN
PLACE  THAT  ALLOW  STUDENTS  TO  SELF-­‐CARRY  AND  SELF-­‐ADMINISTER  THEIR
ASTHMA  MEDICATIONS,  SIGNIFICANT  BARRIERS  TO  THE  IMPLEMENTATION  OF
THESE  POLICIES  MAKE  IT  A  REAL  POSSIBILITY  THAT  A  STUDENT  COULD  BE
STRANDED  AT  SCHOOL  IN  THE  MIDDLE  OF  AN  ASTHMA  ATTACK  WITHOUT  THE
APPROPRIATE,  LIFESAVING  CARE.
HOUSE  BILL  HR545,  THE  ASTHMA  911  ACT,  IS  AN  IMPORTANT  TOOL  TO
COMBAT  THE  MORBIDITY  AND  MORTALITY  THAT  ASTHMA  EXACERBATIONS
IMPOSE  ON  OUR  SCHOOLCHILDREN.    THE  NAME  OF  THE  ACT  –  “ASTHMA  911”  –
STANDS  FOR  “ADVOCATING  FOR  SCHOOL  TREATMENTS,  HEALING  MINORS  WITH
ASTHMA”  AND  EMBODIES  THE  SENTIMENT  OF  THE  POLICY,  WHICH  WOULD
MANDATE  THAT  EVERY  ILLINOIS  SCHOOL  DISTRICT  HAVE  A  PRACTICAL  AND
ACTION-­‐ORIENTED  ASTHMA  EMERGENCY  PROTOCOL  IN  PLACE.    WITH  ASTHMA
EMERGENCY  PROTOCOLS  ESTABLISHED  AND  SCHOOL  STAFF  TRAINED,  NO
ASTHMATIC  STUDENT  WOULD  BE  WITHOUT  A  CARETAKER  WHILE  AT  SCHOOL.
FURTHERMORE,  HOUSE  BILL  HR545,  THE  ASTHMA  911  ACT,  WOULD
MANDATE  PROTOCOL  GUIDELINES  BE  PUBLISHED  AND  REGULARLY  UPDATED  BY
A  COLLOQUIM  OF  ASTHMA  EXPERTS,  WITH  THE  ILLINOIS  DEPARTMENT  OF
PUBLIC  HEALTH  AT  THE  LEAD.    THE  CHICAGO  ASTHMA  CONSORTIUM  HAS
ALREADY  HAD  THE  GOOD  FORTUNE  OF  INITIATING  DIALOGUE  WITH  IDPH  AND
SEVERAL  OF  OUR  PARTNERS,  INCLUDING  THE  RESPIRATORY  HEALTH
ASSOCIATION  AND  THE  AMERICAN  LUNG  ASSOCIATION,  TO  ESTABLISH  A
PRELIMINARY  GUIDELINE,  WHICH  IS  ATTACHED  TO  THIS  TESTIMONY.
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PRIORITIES  ESTABLISHED  BY  THESE  GUIDELINES  INCLUDE  RECOGNITION  OF
ASTHMA  ATTACK  SYMPTOMS,  INITIAL  HEALTH  STATUS  ASSESSMENT,  AND  THE
APPROPRIATE  LINKING  IN  OF  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  SERVICES.
HOUSE  BILL  HR545,  THE  ASTHMA  911  ACT,  WILL  BE  THE  SAFETY  NET  OUR
ASTHMATIC  CHILDREN  NEED  WHILE  AT  SCHOOL.    WITH  ASTHMA  EMERGENCY
PROTOCOLS  IMPLEMENTED  AT  EVERY  ILLINOIS  SCHOOL,  THE  POTENTIAL  FOR
SCHOOL-­‐AGE  MORBIDITY  AND  MORTALITY  FROM  ASTHMA  WILL  BE
SIGNIFICANTLY  REDUCED.  THE  CHICAGO  ASTHMA  CONSORTIUM  AND  ITS
PARTNERS  BELIEVE  THAT  WE  OWE  THIS  TO  OUR  CHILDREN.  TODAY  WE  ASK  THE
COMMITTEE  FOR  YOUR  SUPPORT  OF  HOUSE  BILL  HR545,  THE  ASTHMA  911  ACT,
TO  ENSURE  THE  HEALTH  AND  SAFETY  OF  OUR  FUTURE  GENERATIONS.
AS  I  MENTIONED  EARLIER,  DR.  RUCHI  GUPTA  WILL  NOW  TAKE  US
THROUGH  SOME  MORE  SPECIFICS  ABOUT  CHILDHOOD  ASTHMA  AND  THE  IMPACT
OF  THE  ASTHMA  911  ACT.    DR.  GUPTA?
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