Background and Rationale

Childhood asthma is the most common chronic disease among children in the United States.  The debilitating effects of this condition are well-documented and exact a huge toll on the affected children and their families, especially in medically underserved communities. While asthma is a treatable disease, actual treatment falls far short of recommended care for many children. We face a major challenge and opportunity to address this urgent public health issue.

Goal

The goal of this conference is to convene a round table of experts and thought leaders from multiple disciplines to identify, discuss and recommend priority implementation strategies for best practices that will begin to close the gap between recommended and actual treatment and management.

Objectives

• Review the status of childhood asthma in the United States;
• Identify ongoing and latest developments in best practices;
• Identify priority strategies to implement best practices;
• Develop consensus regarding next steps; and
• Promote conference recommendations through news media, professional publications; and stakeholders.

Collaborators and Steering Committee

• Agency for Healthcare Quality & Research
       Helen Burstin, Denise Dougherty
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
       Paul Garbe, Elizabeth Herman (NCEH)
       Lara Akinbami, Jennifer Madans, Edward Sondik (NCHS)
• National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
       Robert Fulwood, Virginia Taggart
• National Institute of Allergies & Infectious Diseases
       Peter Gergen
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
       Mary Gant
• US Environmental Protection Agency
       Alisa Smith
• Advisors
       Noreen Clark, Cara James, Marsha Lillie-Blanton, Soeren Mattke,
       Herman Mitchell, Kevin Weiss

Conference Venue

Barbara Jordan Conference Center
Kaiser Family Foundation
1330 G Street, NW
Washington, DC