Holyoke City Council seeks solutions to reduce city’s high asthma rate

Holyoke City Council seeks solutions to reduce city’s high asthma rate

HOLYOKE — The City Council’s Public Safety Committee, health and medical professionals continue a push to reduce the city’s asthma rate, one of the highest in Massachusetts and the nation.

The committee held a virtual session Wednesday chaired by Ward 2 City Councilor Terence Murphy, whose constituents, particularly children, experience higher than average asthma rates.

Murphy said the goal was to improve the air quality for residents who suffer from the condition. Asthma also affects the public schools’ chronic absentee figures. Murphy has held a series of meetings on the subject.

Staff from Revitalize CDC and the Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition outlined programs to improve outcomes for families affected by asthma, especially in hard-hit urban areas.

Sarita Hudson of the Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition said her organization looks for solutions to cut asthma rates in homes and schools.

The Healthy Homes Asthma Program, managed by Revitalize CDC and Holyoke Medical Center, offers educational programs, supplies, and home repairs for families to reduce asthma symptoms.

“We know asthma is an issue up and down the Pioneer Valley,” Hudson said. “It’s an air quality issue. Yet, we’ve never been able to do the sophisticated monitoring that we wanted to do, and now we have an opportunity.”

Hudson said a Springfield project, funded by the state attorney general’s office, will monitor air quality. Along with Springfield, Holyoke participates in the Massachusetts Asthma Action Partnership, allowing for widespread monitoring.

“It’s fantastic to set up this network of air quality monitors and then be able to track the information,” Hudson said. “Our goal is to get that information into the hands of folks like you and so that residents understand what the sources of air pollution are.”

Murphy said a “significant goal” is to provide air purifiers for renters at low or no cost. Holyoke’s aging tenements are a significant source of asthma triggers, whether from mold or other environmental exposures.

Hudson added the Healthy Home Program uses community health workers to identify asthma causes such as pets, dust, mold, gas stoves, smoking or cleaning products. The health workers help clients spot asthma triggers and how to use medications effectively.

“If there are things we can do inside the home to fix it, that will save a lot of problems,” Hudson told Murphy. Revitalize CDC uses home assessors to evaluate a renter’s living situation and offer steps to mitigate problems.

Solutions include:

• installing an air purifier
• replacing an old mattress
• using a pillow protector
• cleaning air ducts and better dealing with pets

Colleen Loveless of Revitalize CDC said the organization collaborates with Baystate Health, Holyoke Health Center and other regional agencies.

“It’s important the community health worker works hand-in-hand with our Healthy Homes assessors. The two of them are working in-house to determine the needs of a particular client. Everybody’s situation is a little different,” Loveless said.

Healthy Homes also examines a home’s structural makeup, another potential asthma origin, with the hope of reducing emergency room visits and school absenteeism. Typical repairs include pest control, mold remediation and carpet removal.

“All that work is targeted and specific for the person who has asthma,” Loveless said. “It’s been very successful in this area. We’re kicking this off at the Holyoke Medical Center. We’re going to expand our work because there’s such a need.”

Murphy recommended the Healthy Homes initiative coordinate activities with medical professionals who directly deal with asthma patients.

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Published at Thu, 11 Mar 2021 23:18:55 +0000