Breif History and Mission: The King County Asthma Forum (KCAF) is a local asthma coalition convened in 1998 by Public Health of Seattle and King County and the American Lung Association of Washington State. The mission of the KCAF is to establish an on-going asthma network to communicate about, collaborate on, and coordinate projects that improve and support asthma prevention, diagnosis and management in King County. The KCAF's objectives are to:

• Establish an on-going communication network within King County
• Identify gaps in existing services and activities in King County
• Identify opportunities for coordination and collaboration across projects and agencies
• Increase awareness of asthma, including prevention, diagnosis and management
• Develop activities to improve control of asthma in King County
• Identify individuals and agencies who may want to participate in the KCAF

Membership: Currently, the KCAF has over 70 individual and organizational members. These members include, but are not limited to health care providers, caregivers of children with asthma, researchers, school nurses, pharmacists, academicians, and representatives of non-profit organizations, clinics and hospitals. For a complete list of members; see the KCAF's website at http://www.metrokc.gov/health/asthma/forum.htm.

Committees and Projects: The Steering Committee provides strategic oversight, direction and vision for the coalition. The standing committees serve as a hub of networking and creative strategizing for solutions to reduce the impact of asthma. They are the driving force behind the KCAF's projects and activities. Current standing committees include the following:

Schools. The Schools Committee works closely with community partners, such as American Lung Association of Washington, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America- Washington State Chapter, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The committee has developed the Asthma Management in Educational Settings (AMES) guidelines, and designed Team Asthma Goes to School (TAGS), a consultative program under the Allies Against Asthma project. Current activities focus on providing technical support to TAGS; developing continuing education workshops for teachers, health educators and family resource workers, supporting schools with coordinating asthmarelated services, addressing school policies around asthma issues, and raising general community awareness about school-related asthma issues.

Neighborhood Asthma Committees (NAC). Through the Allies Against Asthma project, the KCAF provides support to four neighborhood asthma committees based in the Rainier Valley, South Park, Highline, and White Center areas. The primary participants in the NAC are caregivers of children with asthma and other community members who have asthma concerns. The committees meet monthly for educational sessions on diverse asthma topics, discussing committee business, project planning, and leadership development. The NAC are a unique way to bring asthma education and support to the neighborhood level that is tailored to the communities' specific needs and assets.

Clinical Practice. The Clinical Practice Committee supports health care institutions and providers to enhance their ability to provide optimal asthma care. The committee also ensures that information the KCAF disseminates is clinically sound. Many members of the Clinical Practice Committee serve on a speakers bureau for community presentations on medical, social and environmental asthma topics.

Projects: The KCAF's core, sponsored, and endorsed projects are another powerful vehicle for making positive changes on the impact of asthma. These projects have all committed to ensuring a high level of coordination and integration among their services. Core and sponsored projects are described below.

Core Projects:
Allies Against Asthma- AAA is a national project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. AAA is the KCAF's core project, in that it was designed by and funded through the coalition. The KCAF was one of seven coalitions in the nation selected for AAA funding. The goal of AAA is to make a positive difference in the lives of children with asthma by facilitating a coordinated, integrated approach to asthma management. This is achieved through the provision of 1) technical assistance and resources to clinics for improving pediatric asthma care; 2) bilingual, bicultural community health workers who provide education, resources and home environmental assessments to families to enhance management of their children's asthma; 3) neighborhood-based support, education, and advocacy around asthma issues; 4) assistance to schools with asthma concerns; and 5) training, technical assistance, and environmental assessments to childcare providers who are concerned about asthma.

Sponsored Projects:
ACT (Asthma Care Training)-ACT is an educational program of the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America- Washington State Chapter, and funded by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The program provides a series of 3 educational sessions for children with asthma between 7 and 12 and their caregivers. The program is conducted in English and held at community clinics or community-based organizations.

Better Homes for Asthma-Funded by HUD, this 3-year research project will provide structural housing remediation for conditions that increase exposure to
asthma triggers with the intention of lowering exposures and improving health status among children with asthma.

Healthy Homes II-HHII is a research project of Public Health- Seattle & King County that is funded by the National Institute of Environmental 3ealth Sciences. HHII's goal is to compare two approaches to improving asthma control: 1) providing patient education, training in self
management, development of a patient-specific asthma action plan, and case management review by an asthma nurse; and 2) providing the above,
plus in-home outreach, education, and resources to address environmental triggers.

Endorsed Projects
Many other asthma projects in the county have requested endorsement from the KCAF and have committed to coordinating their services with those of the coalition. For a list of endorsed projects go to http://www.metrokc.gov/health/asthma/forum.htm.