The Health Equity Advancement and Leadership (HEAL) program, which was initiated by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) in May 2022, aims to aid individuals with asthma. Its primary goal is to diminish asthma-related deaths and illnesses among high-risk populations. As part of this program, AAFA granted four HEAL Innovation awards to fund local interventions or programs that are designed to cater to populations most affected by asthma. These awards provide resources and funding to programs tailored to underserved populations. In the first year of implementation, AAFA has awarded funding to programs in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, and St. Louis.
In January of this year, Rabbit Air had the opportunity to meet with Breathe Southern California, one of the partners chosen by AAFA, at their office in Los Angeles, CA. The purpose of this site visit was to learn more about Breathe Southern California's efforts to educate and provide support to local residents through the Breathe Easier Asthma Management (BEAM) program. BEAM is a free personalized asthma remediation program that aims to reduce asthma-related urgent care visits as well as emergency room visits.
To support that goal, three companies are generously donating CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® products to this program site as well as to the others:
- Rabbit Air is donating air cleaners and replacement filters to help improve indoor air quality and remove asthma and allergy triggers from the air.
- Pegasus Home Fashions is donating Beautyrest® pillows to help reduce exposure to allergens and provide a healthier sleeping environment.
- Renegade Brands is donating Sweat-X Free and Clear laundry detergent to help reduce allergens in fabrics washed with their detergent.
Rabbit Air has had the privilege of partnering with AAFA for their Healthier Home Initiative, which was introduced in 2018. Air purifiers were donated to the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, DC Impact at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., and the Community Asthma Prevention Program at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.
The Rady Children's Hospital, in particular, used a multidisciplinary approach, which consisted of being evaluated by a pulmonologist, allergist and clinical pharmacist along with other individuals. Patients were also provided with a community health worker who made home visits to assess the environment as well as to set behavioral/environmental change goals, such as using HEPA air purifiers and dust mite covers.
The effective treatment plan set by the Rady Children's Hospital and the AAFA Severe Asthma Program (SAP) clinic resulted in a decrease in hospital visits and hospitalization stays for patients. This achievement helped them to win the National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management.
Rabbit Air is proud to support AAFA and their commitment to creating health equity among people with asthma, and looks forward to contributing to their shared goal of helping people breathe just a little bit easier.
