In Illinois, approximately 120,000 children have an asthma attack each year,
leading to thousands of avoidable school absences and hospitalizations.
AAFA – St. Louis wants to get you the resources you need to help keep children in the classroom and out of emergency rooms. After running RESCUE for 12 years in the Greater St. Louis metro area (including several Illinois Counties), AAFA will be expanding the program statewide and getting lifesaving asthma resources to public schools across Missouri.
Now fully funded, the program is launching in time for the 2023-2024 school year.
Legislation
Thanks to Public Act 100-0726, schools across the state are allowed to store and administer “undesignated” asthma medication. This year, the program is launching in approximately 2,600 public school across the state of Illinois. We’re excited to partner with your school!
RESCUE Illinois School is generously funded by a grant administered by the Illinois State Board of Education. This grant enables AAFA to obtain community and school district-wide prescriptions, purchase asthma equipment, and train and support school officials.
Get started today
We’re excited to partner with your school and to get equipment and resources into every community.
Program Details
RESCUE is an asthma intervention program for schools that helps keep children with asthma in the classroom and out of emergency rooms.
Thanks to Public Act 100-0726, schools in Illinois are allowed to store and administer “undesignated” asthma medication to students, staff, and school visitors experiencing a medical emergency. For some school districts, getting a standing order, filling out a prescription or procuring equipment has been challenging.
With a grant from the Illinois Department of Human Services, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America chapter in Missouri will be able to give asthma equipment to the majority of public K-12 schools in Illinois. We have been operating the RESCUE program for 12 years in the St. Louis metro area and have proven experience working with providers, pharmacists, and school districts to keep kids safe.
RESCUE Materials
The RESCUE program has three packages:
- A medication package with a 3 metered dose inhalers with albuterol .
- An equipment package with 3 chambers and 10 disposable spacers
- An education box with 1 peak flow meter and a storage tote bag
Schools with higher enrollment and higher asthma risk will receive multiple sets of medication and equipment.
To see how exactly what your school or school district is eligible for, please check out school allocation spreadsheet.
Training
We are offering many training opportunities at the start of the school year. There is a combination of virtual, on-demand, and in-person training sessions. Register for one of our coming training sessions:
Friday, September 22 – Virtual
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Register
Friday, September 29 – Virtual
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Register
If you would like to schedule a virtual or in-person training for your school district and/or region, please contact AAFA’s Director of Programs, Naomi Soto: [email protected].
Virtual Office Hours
Finally, as we kick off RESCUE you may have additional questions. The AAFA team will host virtual office hours every Friday at 12 PM – 1PM CST through the end of 2023. Please visit the Zoom link below if you would like to attend – no appointment necessary!
Other Important Links:
Download our Program Flyer and FAQ below: