Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation
An Evidence-Based Practice
Description
Asthma, the most common chronic respiratory illness affecting low-income children in the United States, affects 25% of low-income children in Chicago. Yet these children typically have limited or no access to medication and ongoing care. The Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation is tackling the asthma problem in underserved Chicago neighborhoods by using mobile vans, called "Asthma Vans," to treat youth with asthma. The foundation bought and retrofitted two RVs with asthma-related medical equipment. Each van is staffed with a salaried physician or nurse practitioner who is an asthma specialist and can provide continuity of care. The Asthma Vans travel to different schools in the Chicago area that are heavily affected by the disease to screen students. Children exhibiting symptoms are then, along with their parents, invited to the Asthma Vans for a more thorough examination and diagnosis. All tests and medications available at a hospital can be found on an Asthma Van.
Goal / Mission
The Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation’s mission is to provide complimentary and comprehensive asthma care and education to children and families in Chicago’s underserved communities via mobile medical units called "Asthma Vans."
Impact
The Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation’s Asthma Vans provide children and families in Chicago’s underserved communities with complimentary and comprehensive asthma care and education resulting in reduced school absenteeism, decreased ER visits and lower hospitalization rates.
Results / Accomplishments
Through its mobile clinics, Mobile C.A.R.E. Foundation has served more than 6,000 vulnerable students through over 33,000 patient visits. Of patients using the Asthma Van for the first time within the last year, 40% had missed 5+ days of school due to their illness. Only 4% of Asthma Van kids missed 5+ days of school within the last year. The program also decreases hospital usage, as 1-in-25 Mobile C.A.R.E. children report an ER visit or hospitalization since joining the Mobile C.A.R.E. program, versus 1-in-3 in the year prior to enrollment. The reduction in hospitalization rate alone has saved the local healthcare system an estimated $156 million over 13 years.
About this Promising Practice
Primary Contact
Mobile Care Chicago
321 N. Loomis
Chicago, IL 60607
773-254-4030
asthma@mobilecarefoundation.org
https://mobilecarechicago.org/
321 N. Loomis
Chicago, IL 60607
773-254-4030
asthma@mobilecarefoundation.org
https://mobilecarechicago.org/
Topics
Health / Respiratory Diseases
Health / Children's Health
Health / Children's Health
Date of publication
Mar 2007
Date of implementation
1998
For more details
Target Audience
Children