Woodhull Medical Center in Brooklyn and Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx have been awarded a total of up to $1.8 million in New York State Department of Health funding to help create two community-based coalitions designed to improve the quality of life of individuals with asthma and reduce the burden of the disease among high-risk communities. Both Brooklyn and the Bronx have high rates of asthma-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits among children and adults, and the communities served by Woodhull and Lincoln are disproportionately affected by the disease.

The funds will be used to identify and monitor these high-risk populations for asthma, help increase access to asthma care and services, expand community-based asthma education programs, create asthma-friendly environments, and reduce asthma related hospitalizations and emergency department visits in these communities. Each hospital will receive an initial award of $180,000 for a 12-month period, and may then qualify for additional awards up to the $900,000 maximum.

April 2012