Mission  
Improve Health and Community Awareness Related to Asthma.

The mission of the Community Action to Fight Asthma (CAFA) Initiative is to reduce indoor and outdoor environmental risk factors for school-aged children with asthma in California through the support of local coalitions and the development of a statewide infrastructure to address asthma policies.
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ObjectivesÂ
Tulare County Asthma Coalition Subcommittees:
1. Community Outreach and Education
2. Grant Writing and Funding Research
3. Speakers Bureau
4. Newsletter

The objectives of the Tulare County Asthma Coalition include:
1. Establish a multi-organizational, broad-based asthma coalition that is representative of the community served.
2. Formalize coalition membership with Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and develop a structured decision making process.
3. Participate in coordinating statewide asthma data collection.
4. Conduct data collection and analysis on asthma prevalence and environmental risk factors in Tulare, Visalia and Porterville.
5. Utilize best practices to develop an asthma action plan.
6. Implement an asthma intervention activity in Tulare, Visalia and Porterville.
7. Implement asthma policy and advocacy efforts to reduce indoor and outdoor asthma triggers.
8. Implement asthma public education and awareness plans to inform school-aged children, their families, caregivers and service providers about environmental asthma triggers.
9. Collect asthma incidence data using a statewide measure.
Develop and implement a local data collection tracking and monitoring system on asthma.
10. Participate in three statewide annual conferences.
11. Participate in a statewide evaluation.

Tulare County Asthma Coalition Major Projects:
1. Asthma Adventure fair
2. World Asthma Day Event
3. Asthma Walk
4. Train-the-Educator Programs
5. Heritage Elementary School Low-Allergy Playground Demonstration Project
6. Buena Vista Elementary School Greenhouse Project
7. Low-Allergy Plant List
8. Representation on the Citizen’s Advisory Committee for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
9. Representation for Central Valley Air Quality Advocates
10. Air Quality Flag Program in 51 schools, one hospital and one city hall (as of February 10, 2005)
11. Implementation of the U.S. EPA Indoor Air Quality for Schools program at four schools (as of February 10, 2005)
12. Asthma Camp for Children
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PartnersÂ
American Lung Association of Central California; Apria Health Care; Blue Cross of California; Buena Vista Elementary School; CAFA State Coordinating Office; Citizens for Pesticide Reform; City of Tulare; Community Medical Centers – Fresno; Family Health Care Network; First Steps; Fresno/Madera County Asthma Coalition; GlaxoSmithKline; HealthNet; Ihor Kalicinsky, M.D.; Joseph Bakhoum, M.D.; Kaweah Delta Health Care District; Kern County Asthma Coalition; Kings County Asthma Coalition; Latino Issues Forum; Lincare; Merced/Mariposa County Asthma Coalition; Migrant Head Start; MK Medical OptionCare; Rabinder Sidhu, M.D.; San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District; San Joaquin Valley College; San Joaquin Valley Health Consortium; Sierra View Hospital; The California Endowment; Tom Ogren; Tulare City School District; Tulare County Office of Education; Tulare District HealthCare System; Urban Tree Foundation; Vickie D. Krenz, Ph.D., M.S.P.H.; William Winn, M.D.
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Regularly Scheduled MeetingsÂ
Tulare County Asthma Coalition meetings are held on the last Tuesday of every month (except December) from 12 – 1:30 p.m.* For more information contact Diane Sepeda at 559-685-3494 or via e-mail at dsepeda@tdhs.org.

*Coalition meetings are subject to change without notice, it is advised to check with the contact person prior to attending.
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StaffÂ
Jeninne Roden
Chairperson
Tulare County Department of Health and Human Services
Smoking and Tobacco Prevention
559-733-6123

Dorinne Henken
Co-Chair
LOVE, INC.
Executive Director
559-688-8870

Christine Foster, M.S., RCP
Secretary
San Joaquin Valley College
Clinical Instructor of Respiratory Care Education
559-967-7554

June Sexton, R.P.T.
Member at Large
Kaweah Delta Medical Center
Physical Therapy/Pulmonary Rehabilitation Instructor (Retired)
559-740-6153

Sarah Barajas-Clements
Past Chair
Health Net
Senior Community Outreach Representative
559-622-8550, x. 22
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ContactÂ
Diane Sepeda
Tulare County Asthma Coalition
Tulare District Hospital
869 Cherry Street
Tulare, CA 93274
Phone: 559-685-3494
Fax: 559-685-3864