The Community Health Equity Accelerator Announces Successful Completion of Multilevel Intervention Addressing Pediatric Asthma, Providing a Roadmap for Scale

New Haven, CT — The Office of Health Equity Research (OHER) at Yale School of Medicine is pleased to announce the successful completion of the Community Health Equity Accelerator's (CHEA) first-cycle initiative to address pediatric asthma disparities in New Haven. The project was conducted by a research team that included the Hispanic Federation of Connecticut, Yale Pediatrics Sections of General Pediatrics and Pulmonology, Allergy, Immunology and Sleep Medicine, Fair Haven Community Health Center, and legal partners at the Center for Children’s Advocacy. The team has shown meaningful results and created a replicable model for community-based asthma care.

The intervention provided home visitation services to pediatric asthma patients identified by providers at Fair Haven Community Health Center and Pediatric subspecialty clinics at Yale New Haven Health. Central to the project was the development of a new Pediatric Asthma Advocacy Clinical Pathway, created by the research team to streamline identification of eligible patients and initiate referrals into the program. Educational tools were adapted from the Kings County Community Health Worker Asthma Program.

The published pathway has been accessed by providers from multiple specialties through the public website or the electronic health record. This program has served hundreds of patients, with families completing one to two visits each. The response from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. Nearly all survey respondents expressed that they would recommend the program, found it easy to participate in, reported a positive experience, and felt more confident in managing their child's asthma after completing it.

The project's outcomes provide a clear foundation for scaling. The clinical pathway infrastructure, community health worker model, and high participant acceptability together offer a tested and transferable framework for partnerships among health systems and community partners seeking to reduce pediatric asthma disparities in other settings.

The research team was led by Julia Rosenberg, MD, MHS, Laura Chen, MD, and Julie Flom, MD, MPH of Yale Pediatrics. Community-based services were delivered by Hispanic Federation staff Kely Pimentel, BSPA, Bethsy Morales, MA, Brendalis Altamirano, RRT, Magaly Cajigas, MPA, and Carmen Evans, whose dedication and culturally responsive care were essential to the program's reach and impact. Other team members included Lori Powers, RN, MSN; Carlin F. Aloe, MPH; Shannon O'Malley, MD; Sarah Mervine, JD; Sherin Panacherry, MD, MPH; Rose Banks, MD; Mona Sharifi, MD, MPH; and Ada Fenick, MD. The team extends special thanks to technical advisors Sandra Zaeh, MD, MS, and Beverley Sheares, MD, MS, whose expertise in pediatric pulmonology and asthma care helped shape the intervention's clinical design, and to CHEA’s Guiding Coalition of community leaders.

Launched in 2022 with support from a Yale School of Medicine institutional investment, CHEA brings together community organizations, Yale-affiliated faculty and staff, and health system leadership to identify, evaluate, and implement strategic health equity interventions on an accelerated timeline. The initiative operates under the guidance of a community-led Guiding Coalition and is supported by the Office of Health Equity Research.