Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago

Target demographics: provide healthy lungs and clean air for all.

Geographic areas served: Respiratory Health Association is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and has been a local public health leader since 1906. At that time, tuberculosis was a prominent health threat in our community. As health practices and treatments, medicines and environmental factors have evolved, so has RHA. Today we address asthma, COPD, lung cancer, tobacco control, COVID-19, and air quality with a comprehensive approach.

Programs: Lung health programs: reduce the burden of chronic disease (especially asthma, lung cancer, and copd). We use health educators and other trained staff/volunteers to educate communities about how they can address lung health disparities and educate individuals about how to manage their lung disease. Currently, our programs and projects include: fight asthma now (for youth/teens), asthma management (for caregivers), asthma-friendly childcare project (for early childcare providers), addressing asthma in northern lake county project, copd initiative including our living better together copd conference, healthy lungs initiative, and radon awareness efforts among others.

tobacco control: reduce smoking rate, reduce exposure to secondhand smoke and prevent youth from using tobacco. In 2014, respiratory health association worked with chicago public schools on a project aimed at decreasing the smoking rate and exposure to secondhand smoke among chicago public schools students. In addition, the healthy lungs initiative, in collaboration with the cook county health and hospitals system, provides direct counseling and other resources to smokers who want to quit. Through partnerships with the city and county, as well as with private businesses and other local health departments and hospitals, respiratory health association provides "courage to quit" smoking cessation classes and "intro to tobacco-free living" workshops for adults, as well as the "operation storefront" curriculum encourages youth to make the choice to stay tobacco-free. In addition, respiratory health association partners with health departments and other community stakeholders to promote smoke-free environments, including smoke-free housing. These programmatic efforts are complemented by several policy initiatives to increase smoke free environments (including parks) and to resist efforts to create exemptions in the illinois clean indoor air law, which we helped pass in 2007.

environmental health: promote policies that improve indoor and outdoor air quality and raise awareness about how air pollution affects lung health. In 2014 we supported educational/awareness activities to limit idling by diesel vehicles and equipment and urged medical institutions and freight businesses to require the use of cleaner diesel construction equipment. We also worked to limit pollution by coal-fired power plants throughout illinois and supported local health regulations for petroleum coke storage. We called for action to reduce air pollution from transit vehicles, including diesel buses and locomotives, and initiated community-based awareness activities to inform local residents about risks to their lung health. State lawmakers were asked to support limiting toxic materials and fix existing renewable energy programs. Federal lawmakers were asked protect clean air act programs and support strategies to address global warming and clean energy.

research: advance the understanding and treatment of lung diseases by supporting scientifically meritorious research. Research on a wide range of lung disease issues is considered, including asthma, lung cancer, copd, interstitial lung disease (including pulmonary fibrosis) and women's lung health. Respiratory health association aims to fund the most promising research and strives to foster greater collaboration among researchers and among organizations that support lung disease research. Through the development of partnerships with other research organizations, respiratory health association is able to maximize research awards and make every dollar raised go farther. Research funded by respiratory health association helps scientists diagnose lung disease earlier, discover causes and find cures. The goal is to help improve the quality of life for those living with lung disease. Recently funded projects include efforts at university of chicago, university of illinois at chicago, rush university medical center and northwestern university.