The Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma (LBACA), which started in 1999, is a partnership to improve the lives of children with asthma in the Long Beach, CA community. LBACA was one of 7 sites in the United States and Puerto Rico awarded grants under the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Allies Against Asthma program and is one of 12 sites in California awarded grants under The California Endowment’s Community Action to Fight Asthma (CAFA) initiative. LBACA recently received funding from the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s British Petroleum Settlement fund to expand its programming into San Pedro, Wilmington and Carson, California.

Current Activities

LBACA’s activities include:

• A community health worker home visiting program
• An asthma resource center
• Physician Asthma Care Education – improving physician asthma management skills
• Training medical assistants to provide asthma education to patients at provider sites
• Teaming up with schools, after-school programs, parks and recreational centers to develop asthma-friendly environments and policies
• Mobilizing the community to respond to air quality issues, both indoors and outdoors.

LBACA’s Long-term Objectives

• To change the profile of childhood asthma in the most affected areas of the cities of Long Beach, San Pedro, Wilmington and Carson, through improved healthcare delivery and quality, outreach, education, support systems, improved living environments and changes in policy at all levels.
• To improve clinical outcomes including reduction in hospitalizations, emergency room visits and school absenteeism due to asthma and enhanced quality of life measures.

 CONTACT INFO

Postal Address:

The Long Beach Alliance for Children with Asthma
2651 Elm Avenue, STE 100
Long Beach, CA 90806

Telephone:
Phone (562) 427-4249
Fax (562) 427-8438

Email:
ehuffer@memorialcare.org

STAFF
Dr. Elisa Nicholas, Project Director
Erin Huffer, Project Manager
Gerardo Gomez, Assistant Project Coordinator
Elena Rodriguez-Gutierrez, Community Outreach Liaison
Martha Beatriz Cota, Community Outreach Liaison for LBACA
Maritza Dominguez, Office manager
Delores Simms, Community Health Worker
Herendira Razcon, Community Health Worker
Irene Mineses, Community Health Worker
Phaktra Huch, Community Health Worker
Maria Garcia, Community Health Worker 

Steering Committee Members�
Dr. Elisa Nicholas, Project Director
Erin Huffer, Project Manager
Terri Nickoletich, Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services
Monica Parrilla, Community Member
Concepcion Garcia, Community Member
Dr. Jud Schoendorf , Community Medical Provider