Environmental Health
About Our Environmental Health Initiative
Asthma and lead poisoning have significant impacts on families and communities. Both can affect a child’s quality of life and have devastating consequences. We are dedicated to creating healthy environments where Wisconsin kids live, learn and play.
Asthma is a common, deadly, expensive and disruptive lung disease. The good news is that it can be managed and controlled. We’ve gathered the best resources, most current information and expert training materials for educators, families and health care professionals across Wisconsin who need help creating asthma-friendly environments.
Lead poisoning can cause damage to the brain and body, and children younger than age 6 are most vulnerable to lead’s harmful effects. The good news is that lead poisoning is preventable. We are collaborating with clinical and community partners to provide consistent messaging about lead poisoning prevention and control, connect families to resources, and coordinate care for children with lead exposure.
In Wisconsin…
Half a million children and adults have asthma.
1 person dies every 5 days because of asthma.
1 in 3 children with asthma will miss a day of school.
Two-thirds of lead poisoned children live in Milwaukee County.
What We Do
The Alliance provides support and resources, advocates for policies and evidence-based practices and leads statewide programming in partnership with state and local organizations.
Wisconsin Asthma Coalition
The Wisconsin Asthma Coalition is a diverse group working to improve asthma management by implementing best practices for reducing asthma disparities, contributing to policy discussions, enhancing quality of life and preventing asthma-related deaths.
Air Quality
Healthy air is a vital component of healthy communities. Everyone deserves to breath safe, healthy air and we are committed to improving air quality monitoring, while incorporating components that address other climate change issues.
Southeast Wisconsin SAMPROTM
Improving school-based asthma management is a team effort. Southeast Wisconsin School-based Asthma Management Program (SAMPRO™) Our role is to connect partners, educate school personnel and encourage the use of asthma action plans. These measures decrease asthma-related missed school days and emergency calls.
Join the Wisconsin Asthma Coalition
In 2001, Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin received a contract through the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to create the Wisconsin Asthma Coalition (WAC) and assist in efforts to create the first Wisconsin Asthma Plan. In 2003, WAC had its first formal statewide meeting to unveil the plan and build coalition membership.
The Wisconsin asthma initiative is funded in part by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health, through a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement.
Help us improve asthma management and prevent asthma-related deaths in Wisconsin.
Contact Our Staff
Carissa Hoium, MPH
Program Leader
Environmental Health
(414) 337-4569
choium@childrenswi.org
Sarah Kroening, MSpEd
Program Manager
Environmental Health
(414) 266-9730
skroening@childrenswi.org
Environmental Health News
Celebrating air quality awareness at Lowell International Elementary School
As an AmeriCorps member working with Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin (the Alliance) and the Love My Air Wisconsin (LMA WI) program, I had the incredible opportunity to attend [...]
Love My Air Wisconsin creates AQI Activity Guide
Love My Air Wisconsin (LMA WI), in partnership with Playworks, is thrilled to share a new, one-of-a-kind, activity resource guide associated with air quality index (AQI) guidelines! What is [...]
