May 28, 2008
For Immediate Release

Contacts:
Jan McClure
jan@iacunato-mclane.com
888-356-6406(ext. 88)

Dawn Swett
dawn@iacunato-mclane.com
888-356-6406(ext. 86)

ALAMEDA ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN NEW NATIONAL PEDIATRIC ASTHMA INTERVENTION INITIATIVE

With Alameda County's children suffering from some of the highest asthma emergency room and hospitalization rates in the state, new four-year "ATTACK" Asthma Program will target high-risk pediatric asthma patients through early intervention and education to improve quality of care and reduce health care costs.


Alameda, Calif., May 27, 2008 - Alameda Alliance for Health (Alliance), a not-for-profit health plan that provides health care coverage to more than 92,000 Alameda County residents, today announced that it has been selected by the Center for Health Care Strategies* (CHCS) to participate in a new national pediatric asthma Business Case for Quality initiative-with the goal of early intervention, education and improved health and financial outcomes.

The Alliance** was one of only three health organizations nationwide selected to participate in the four-year program, scheduled to start in August of this year. The Alliance will receive training, technical assistance on quality improvement, program evaluation, and return on investment analysis, as well as seed grants to help defray the costs of participating.

"With children in Alameda County suffering from some of the highest asthma rates in the state, we are eager to begin this new education intervention program and we're pleased that CHCS has selected us for this important work," said Arthur Chen, MD, chief medical officer for the Alliance. "We are also excited to be partnering with Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland. They have a long history of implementing quality improvements and integrated asthma care coordination."

In 2006, Children's Hospital Oakland received 4,755 asthma emergency room visits from children. Under the new Asthma Tools and Training Advancing Community Knowledge (ATTACK) program, children who visit the ER--many of whom are covered by the Alliance's health plans--will be referred to a nearby ATTACK Asthma clinic, managed by Children's Hospital Oakland, for intensive education and information. This intervention/referral will take place within two to three days of their ER visit. The Alliance will work closely with Children's Hospital Oakland to monitor clinical outcomes and analyze the data relating to their frequency of return visits to the ER, among other factors.

"While these children have a serious chronic medical condition that needs to be closely managed, our goal is to improve their quality of life by educating and empowering them to take more control of their health," said Mindy Benson, MSN, NP, asthma program manager at Children's Hospital Oakland. "We look forward to making a difference by providing children a way to 'take charge' through better knowledge and information."

About the Alliance
Established in 1996, Alameda Alliance for Health is a local, not-for-profit, state-licensed health plan committed to making high quality health care services accessible and affordable to lower income residents in Alameda County. The Alliance is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of its members and currently provides comprehensive health care services to more than 92,000 Alameda County residents through programs that include Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, Healthy Kids, Alliance Group Care and Alliance CompleteCare.

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*The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), in Hamilton, NJ, provided funding for the "Business Case for Quality" Grant. This grant was made possible through a separate grant to CHCS by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund.
**Editor's Note: When referencing "the Alliance", Alliance should always be capitalized. Thank you.

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