Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #102513

Anne Kelsey Lamb, MPH, Regional Asthma Management and Prevention Initiative, 180 Grand Ave. Suite 750, Oakland, CA 94612 and Joel Ervice, Regional Asthma Management and Prevention Initiative (RAMP), 180 Grand Ave., Suite 750, Oakland, CA 94612, 510-302-3316, joel@rampasthma.org.

The Regional Asthma Management & Prevention Initiative (RAMP) is a project of the Public Health Institute and was founded in 1996 to bring together diverse constituents—public health, managed care, community organizations, schools, environmental health and justice groups, clinicians—to collaborate in a comprehensive approach to reduce the burden of asthma in the San Francisco Bay Area. RAMP serves four main functions: 1) A clearinghouse of asthma information and resources, including studies, tools, events, and funding opportunities; 2) A technical assistance provider, assisting local asthma coalitions with their efforts in clinical, home, school, or outdoor environments; 3) A convener, providing opportunities for regional networking and capacity-building; and 4) A collective voice for policy change, serving as an organizer and facilitator of change at multiple levels.

RAMP has had great success, serving as a model for a statewide asthma initiative and for other regional projects. Key elements of RAMP's success as a regional center are in both function and form. RAMP's main functions are all carried out strategically in a way that adds value to existing local or state efforts. For example, local policy efforts feed into statewide advocacy opportunities through RAMP, as a regional center. The components of form that have made RAMP successful include: its earned credibility; the composition and role of its advisory group; its continuously broadening participation; and its longevity, which has allowed for a purposeful evolution. This session will examine the key elements of RAMP's success and discuss replicability for other geographic areas and public health issues.

Learning Objectives: