The University of Arizona Health Sciences Asthma & Airway Disease Center and the Arizona Asthma Coalition Awarded $400,000 from Mercy C.A.R.E.S. to Support the School Stock Inhaler Program

(Tucson, Ariz. – Sept. 19, 2024) – Mercy C.A.R.E.S. has awarded the University of Arizona Health Sciences Asthma & Airway Disease Center & the Arizona Asthma Coalition a 2024 Mercy C.A.R.E.S. Community Reinvestment Grant in the amount of $400,000. The grant will support the school stock inhaler program focusing on “Empowering Communities: Amplifying the Reach of the Stock Inhaler for Schools Program in Rural Counties and Tribal Nations through Strategic Partnerships.”

“We are honored to receive this $400,000 grant to expand the Stock Inhaler for Schools Program. Asthma is a significant health challenge, especially in rural and tribal-serving schools where access to medical resources is limited. This funding will help us ensure these schools have the life-saving tools they need, reducing health disparities and providing equitable access to albuterol sulfate. In partnership with Mercy C.A.R.E.S., we can make a significant difference in the lives of Arizona’s most vulnerable schoolchildren” praised Dr. Ashley Lowe, Program Director of Stock Inhaler for Schools Program, Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona College of Nursing and Asthma & Airway Research Center.

Mercy C.A.R.E.S., which stands for Community Action Resources Education and Service, is Mercy Care’s community giving initiative. Through grant funding, sponsorships, volunteer efforts and board participation, Mercy C.A.R.E.S. supports AHCCCS’ Whole Person Care Initiative, which addresses social risk factors to improve health outcomes

“Mercy Care is thrilled to provide the University of Arizona Health Sciences Asthma & Airway Center and the Arizona Asthma Coalition with a Community Reinvestment Grant. As an organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of all Arizonans, and particularly those who are underserved with complex health needs, we are happy to partner with the University of Arizona Health Sciences Asthma & Airway Center and the Arizona Asthma Coalition in making a positive impact on our community,” says Trisha Stuart, Mercy Care director of community relations.

“Through Mercy C.A.R.E.S., we partner with organizations across the state whose health focus areas align with ours such as managing chronic conditions, supporting mental health and well-being, addressing housing insecurity, and empowering recovery for substance use.”

The mission of the UA Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center is to understand the causes of respiratory disease, to improve the lives of people suffering from these illnesses, and to find cures for respiratory diseases that plague the citizens of our nation and world.

The Arizona Asthma Coalition serves as a catalyst to decrease the burden of asthma in Arizona through awareness, advocacy and education.

Mercy Care is a not-for-profit Medicaid managed care health plan, serving AHCCCS members in Arizona since 1985. Mercy Care is a local company sponsored by Dignity Health and Ascension Health. Mercy Care provides access to physical and behavioral health care services for Medicaid-eligible families, children, seniors, and individuals with developmental/cognitive disabilities. Learn more at www.MercyCareAZ.org.

Asthma, a chronic inflammatory lung disease, affects approximately 25 million individuals in the United States, with life-threatening symptoms leading to over 200 deaths among children annually. This condition disproportionately impacts low-income, minority, and urban/rural-residing children, causing significant school absenteeism and hindering daily activities, including classroom learning. Despite the critical need for immediate access to albuterol sulfate, a short-acting beta agonist (SABA), less than 12% of affected children have access to this medication at school.

Recognizing this urgent need, the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program, the National Health, Lung, and Blood Institute, the American Lung Association, and the National Association of School Nurses advocate for universal access to SABA rescue inhalers in schools. Arizona has taken significant strides in this direction with the implementation of H.B. 2208, facilitating a school-based stock albuterol inhaler program. This program enables schools to administer albuterol sulfate to distressed students, reducing emergency medical incidents.

The program provides schools with albuterol sulfate inhalers, disposable valved-holding chambers, template resources, a web-based training curriculum, and ongoing support to ensure effective implementation. Recent efforts have focused on expanding the Stock Inhaler for Schools Program to schools in Maricopa and Pima Counties. This expansion has been a collaborative effort involving various entities, including county health departments, superintendents, the Arizona Department of Health Services, the Arizona Department of Education, the Arizona Asthma Coalition, and the University of Arizona.

The initiative’s success is evident from preliminary data showing that over 80% of students who use the stock inhaler return to class, rather than being sent home or transported to a health facility. However, the program currently reaches only about 25% of Arizona’s schools, leaving many schools, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas, without access. Among these are 22 federally recognized tribes facing asthma prevalence rates twice as high as their White counterparts.

To address this gap, the University of Arizona and the Arizona Asthma Coalition will continue their partnership to implement the Stock Inhaler for Schools Program during the 2024-2025 school year. The objectives are:

• Maintain Program Implementation: Sustain the Stock Inhaler for Schools Program in 600 Arizona K-12 schools during the 2024-25 school year.
• Expand Reach: Extend the program to an additional 100 rural, medically underserved, and/or tribal nation schools in Arizona.
• Culturally Sensitive Resources: Revise program materials to ensure cultural sensitivity and support for adoption in minority-serving institutions and tribal schools.
• To achieve these objectives, the University of Arizona will merge two teams of dedicated staff with extensive experience in K-12 and tribal schools, facilitating effective program implementation and expansion. This involves outreach to schools, updating implementation materials, and providing comprehensive training resources.

A crucial aspect of the expansion includes engaging with Indigenous staff to foster trust-based relationships with tribal schools. This approach ensures compliance with tribal law and provides these schools with the same resources available to others across the state.

Program materials will be revised to convey inclusive and culturally appropriate messaging. The collaborative effort will involve Indigenous students from the University of Arizona, who will help create materials representative of all first nation collaborators. These resources will be available for download on the Arizona Asthma Coalition website.

This initiative represents the largest sustained, school-based stock medication program of its kind in the United States and serves as a national exemplar. This project will significantly increase equitable access to life-saving rescue medication in schools, reaching hundreds of thousands of students across Arizona. For more information, contact Ashley Lowe, PhD, MSPH at aaray@arizona.edu or 520-626-8814.