Montana Asthma Control Program (MACP)“As forest fires increase in length and intensity, their effects on human health will also increase. Public health partners and the general public should be aware of any factors that may contribute to the wildfire season and poor air quality conditions,” notes BJ Biskupiac, MACP Director. Health problems are more likely in sensitive groups, such as people with existing heart or lung problems, children, and the elderly. An important goal of the Montana Asthma Control Program is to identify and reduce exposure to environmental hazards that contribute to increased asthma prevalence and negative asthma outcomes. The MACP will continue to partner with government agencies and other stakeholders to provide the best evidence based information to the public on how to protect themselves from wildfire smoke and maintain healthy environments in which they live, work, and play,” says BJ.
Climate change directly affects Montanans with asthma in several ways due to lengthening wildfire smoke seasons and worsening allergens. Wildfire season and severity are lengthening in part due to lower snowpack, earlier spring runoff, dryer late summer, increased underbrush, dryer soils, and more dead trees – all worsened by climate change. Allergenic plants are producing more pollen and their season is longer due to the increased carbon dioxide levels and heat.
Nestled in Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) are four employees dedicated to assisting Montanans with asthma at the Montana Asthma Control Program (MACP). One of the programs funded by the MACP is the Montana Asthma Home Visiting Program, or MAP for short. The MACP supports a smattering of asthma home visitors across the state who implement the program. Patients can self-refer to the program and receive education and trigger reduction tools like mattress covers and HEPA filters. Patients also get referred to weatherization programs which can sometimes assist to improve housing conditions that affect asthma while lowering energy usage and bills for families.
This program also works on air quality since there is no separate program for this at DPHHS, coordinating with the Department of Environmental Quality, the US Forest Service, and other stakeholder agencies to provide evidence based information to the public.
They also provide mini-grants for school personnel to create safe and healthy learning environments. Read more here: https://dphhs.mt.gov/schoolhealth/grants
A combination of CDC, state, and tobacco settlement dollars funds the program. BJ Biskupiak, is the MACP Manager. Jennifer VanSyckle is QI Coordinator working with clinics and ERs. Mary Duffy is an epidemiologist. Ann Lanes runs the Informatics System for the home visiting program. The MAAG, Montana Asthma Advisory Group, with representatives across the state, meets quarterly to inform and expand efforts and services.
See their website here: https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/asthma/
Self-refer to the MAP here: https://chronicdiseasedata.undeerc.org/emap-selfreferral/default.aspx
Wildfire Smoke page here: https://dphhs.mt.gov/AirQuality
School mini-grants here: https://dphhs.mt.gov/schoolhealth/grants
Climate change directly affects Montanans with asthma in several ways due to lengthening wildfire smoke seasons and worsening allergens. Wildfire season and severity are lengthening in part due to lower snowpack, earlier spring runoff, dryer late summer, increased underbrush, dryer soils, and more dead trees – all worsened by climate change. Allergenic plants are producing more pollen and their season is longer due to the increased carbon dioxide levels and heat.
Nestled in Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) are four employees dedicated to assisting Montanans with asthma at the Montana Asthma Control Program (MACP). One of the programs funded by the MACP is the Montana Asthma Home Visiting Program, or MAP for short. The MACP supports a smattering of asthma home visitors across the state who implement the program. Patients can self-refer to the program and receive education and trigger reduction tools like mattress covers and HEPA filters. Patients also get referred to weatherization programs which can sometimes assist to improve housing conditions that affect asthma while lowering energy usage and bills for families.
This program also works on air quality since there is no separate program for this at DPHHS, coordinating with the Department of Environmental Quality, the US Forest Service, and other stakeholder agencies to provide evidence based information to the public.
They also provide mini-grants for school personnel to create safe and healthy learning environments. Read more here: https://dphhs.mt.gov/schoolhealth/grants
A combination of CDC, state, and tobacco settlement dollars funds the program. BJ Biskupiak, is the MACP Manager. Jennifer VanSyckle is QI Coordinator working with clinics and ERs. Mary Duffy is an epidemiologist. Ann Lanes runs the Informatics System for the home visiting program. The MAAG, Montana Asthma Advisory Group, with representatives across the state, meets quarterly to inform and expand efforts and services.
See their website here: https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/asthma/
Self-refer to the MAP here: https://chronicdiseasedata.undeerc.org/emap-selfreferral/default.aspx
Wildfire Smoke page here: https://dphhs.mt.gov/AirQuality
School mini-grants here: https://dphhs.mt.gov/schoolhealth/grants