Translating chw asthma interventions from research to sustainability (please note, this presentation is envisioned as an entire oral session with four presenters)

Research has demonstrated that CHW in-home asthma interventions can improve health outcomes and increase quality of life. However most children with asthma, especially those from low income communities, don't receive these interventions and continue to experience poorly controlled asthma. This presentation explores how Seattle and Massachusetts are translating research to wide-spread implementation, including efforts to sustain the intervention through coverage and workforce development.

Seattle King County Health Department presents its research on the intervention's effectiveness when focused on high risk children. The presenter will review the subsequent research confirming that this model can improve health outcomes and reduce costs by approximately 20%. Seattle King County will describe their efforts to sustain this intervention by partnering with publicly-funded insurers.

Boston Medical Center, Baystate Medical Center, and Boston Public Health Commission present their translation of the Seattle King County model to real world implementation at hospitals that serve the largest number of low income families in the state and at a local health department that serves a population most at risk for poor health outcomes in the state. Different approaches to integrating this model into the medical and public health systems will be explored.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) describes their efforts and that of their partners to sustain this intervention through insurance coverage and local capacity building. MDPH will discuss their partnership with Medicaid and managed care Medicaid, their development of a CHW training program, and their evaluation of state infrastructure needed to support wide-spread implementation of this model.