Asthma

Florida Asthma Program

The Florida Asthma Program (FAP) coordinates statewide efforts to reduce asthma disparities and hospitalization rates, as well as increase the number of people with asthma receiving self-management education. The program takes a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to preventing and reducing asthma disparities in Florida by following integrated guidelines by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Asthma Control Program.

The FAP is funded through the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention. In 2019, the program was awarded the Comprehensive Public Health Approach to Asthma Control Trough Evidence-Based Interventions grant. This funding cycle is for the next five years.

The FAP provides comprehensive asthma care by ensuring  access to guidelines-based medical management and pharmacotherapy for  all Floridians with asthma and linking those with poorly controlled asthma to healthcare services. The FAP's work plan focuses on three types of strategies to achieve this goal:

• Infrastructure strategies to support leadership, strategic partnerships, strategic communications, surveillance, and evaluation
• Services strategies to expand school and home-based services
• Health systems strategies to improve coverage, delivery, quality, and use of clinical services. 

The goals of the Florida Asthma Program are to:

• Develop, manage, track, and analyze a set of asthma health status indicators that are derived from a variety of sources and accommodate state and local asthma related data needs through the statewide asthma surveillance system.
• Engage community partners to increase community readiness to identify gaps in the delivery of asthma-related programs and services to improve Florida’s existing asthma system of care.
• Promote and expand quality asthma self-management education and reduce exposure to asthma triggers through a home-visiting environmental assessment.
• Facilitate the statewide asthma coalition, Florida Asthma Coalition (FAC), to address asthma disparities, improve quality of life, and reduce costs.
• Increase public awareness of the importance of reducing the burden of asthma and the need for supportive policies and environments. 

Florida Asthma Plan 2019-2024

CDC Link:  Asthma State Contacts and Programs

The intent of the Florida Asthma Plan 2019-2024 is to serve as the detailed blueprint for how efforts and resources can be combined to strengthen the collective capacity in Florida to lessen the burden of asthma and improve the quality of life for Floridians living with asthma. Providing comprehensive care requires a stepwise approach consisting of various segments, such as asthma control and management and providing or linking those affected to healthcare services.