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Mid-Atlantic Regional Asthma Network (MARAN)
What Is the Mid-Atlantic Regional Asthma Network (MARAN)?
MARAN is a stakeholder driven network involving a vast array of Mid-Atlantic professionals, organizations and educational institutions with a vested interest in addressing the critical issues in prevention and care of asthma.
The objectives of MARAN are:
- To establish a network of public and private sector stakeholders who have an interest and a role in implementing the National Asthma Strategy.
- To provide an educational forum to exchange information about the public health, policy and political issues pertaining to the asthma epidemic.
- To create a communications infrastructure among the asthma community.
- To serve as a catalyst for the development of new cooperative projects with regional stakeholders.
Out of MARAN, many partnerships have developed not only among federal agencies but also among various asthma stakeholders from the Mid-Atlantic region. As part of this collaborative effort, MARAN continues to enhance and support existing asthma programs to address indoor and outdoor environmental triggers and the management of asthma. Activities have included a number of special events, media, community outreach, events, public education and communications. Listed below are some MARAN past and present stakeholder programs/projects:
- George Washington University’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health - The goal of the health Asthma Free Homes Project is to improve the quality of life of asthmatic children in the Direct through in-home asthma intervention. Through a cooperative agreement with EPA Region 3, homes with asthmatic children are targeted for in-home asthma intervention, which consist of a health home visit and an asthma management plan component. Experts work with these families to identify and reduce/eliminate indoor environmental asthma triggers and educate families on how to better manage their child’s asthma condition.
- Bon Secours Health Care Foundation
will impact childhood asthma by providing household trigger identification and caregiver education, including mitigation demonstrations, for children and their families enrolled in the Controlling Asthma in the Richmond Metropolitan Area (CARMA) asthma case management programs. - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia - the main goal is to increase the knowledge and understanding of asthma and asthma management in the West, North and South Philadelphia areas. Trained Home Visitors (HV) from the Community Asthma Prevention Program (CAPP) will educate families about asthma.
- National Nursing Centers Consortium - This project supports the Asthma Safe Kids (ASK) program, an in-home program focused on children who are under the age of 18. The goal of ASK is to increase parents' and caregivers' awareness of asthma triggers in the home and decrease the exposure of asthmatic children to these triggers.
PLAN FOR COMBATING ASTHMA IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION
Mid-Atlantic Regional Asthma Initiative Stakeholders
American Lung Association of Maryland
American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic
American Lung Association of West Virginia
Asthma & Allergy Foundation Maryland-Greater DC Chapter
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, Southeastern PA Chapter
Asthma Control Program
Bethlehem Health Bureau Bethlehem, PA
Baltimore City Health Department - Government
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Clean Air Council
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Thomas Jefferson Univ.
Department of Health and Human Services-R3
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
DC Asthma Now Program (DC CAN)
DC Department of Health
Family Administration - MD
US EPA Region 3 - Office of Children's Health
Health Partners (Philadelphia)
Health Promotion Council (Philadelphia)
Latino Health Initiative - MD
Mid-Atlantic Asthma Foundation
National Nursing Centers Consortium - PA
Pennsylvania Department of Health - Pennsylvania Asthma Partnership (PAP)
Philadelphia Department of Public Health
State of Maryland-Center for Maternal and Child Health - Family Health Administration, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
St. Andrew Development, Inc.
Virginia Asthma Coalition
West Virginia Asthma Coalition
West Virginia Asthma Education Prevention Program
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources
In recognition of the growing body of scientific information demonstrating that America's children suffer disproportionately from an environmental health and safety risk, President Clinton issued Executive Order 13045 - http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/Whatwe_fedtask.htm. This order created the Environmental Health Risks and Safety to Children Task Force. This task force was a combination of governmental agencies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The task force was charged with recommending strategies for protecting children's environmental health and safety. On February 17, 1999, the task force released the "Asthma and the Environment: An Action Plan to Protect Children”– http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/fin.htm/$file/fin.pdf. The plan is designed to promote federal action to protect all children with asthma from environmental risks that worsen this disease. Under the Bush Administration, the Order has been extended and the task force re-authorized. The first meeting under the new administration took place on October 24, 2001.
MissionThe mission of the MARAI, now MARAN is to combine collaborative efforts with stakeholders to combat the burden of asthma in the Mid-Atlantic Region by focusing on regional goals and translating these goals into specific community based activities.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Janice Bolden, Regional Asthma Program Manager, Air Protection Division, U.S. EPA, at 215-814-2185 or Dr. Dalton Paxman, Regional Health Administrator, Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. DHHS at 215-861-4631.