Supporting Statewide Implementation of Medi-Cal Policies for People with Asthma
Highlights
PHI's Regional Asthma Management and Prevention program (RAMP) supported the effective implementation of new asthma-related Medi-Cal policies by providing technical assistance to both health plans and asthma providers, offering capacity-building workshops and peer learning discussions, and leading collective advocacy efforts to improve the asthma policies as well as broader health equity policies.
100 Community Health Workers, promotoras and other asthma educators supported through capacity-building workshops
30 asthma home visiting organizations received technical assistance and/or participated in peer learning
24 Medi-Cal managed care plans received tools, best practices, and/or technical assistance
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Focus Areas
Health Care & Population Health, Healthy Communities -
Issues
Asthma -
Expertise
Technical Assistance
In 2024, PHI’s Regional Asthma Management and Prevention program (RAMP) supported the effective implementation of new Medi-Cal policies in California that now provide coverage for home-based asthma education, environmental trigger assessments and asthma remediation supports.
To ensure the effective implementation of the policies, RAMP provided technical assistance to twenty-four Medi-Cal managed care plans, thirty asthma home visiting organizations and one hundred Community Health Workers, promotoras and other asthma educators, offering capacity-building workshops and peer learning discussions; and leading collective advocacy efforts to improve the asthma policies as well as broader health equity policies.
RAMP hosted workshops on a wide range of topics, including:
- How digital media impacts patient asthma care decisions
- Mapping asthma emergency department visits to identify substandard housing
- Asthma, cannabis, secondhand & thirdhand smoke
- An update on guidelines-based practices in asthma management
- Wildfire smoke updates and resources
- Pest prevention and Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
- Work-related asthma
- Outdoor air pollution and asthma
- Addressing asthma disparities within (and out of) the health system
For the last twenty-two years, RAMP has provided me with high quality trainings addressing asthma and also has facilitated bi-monthly forums to share resources and strategies among community health workers. RAMP has played an active role in the asthma community and has been a voice disseminating the role of community health workers through policy at local and national levels. RAMP is an organization that has accompanied me in my journey as an asthma community health worker for more than two decades, and I am grateful for that.Silvia Raymundo
Community Health Worker
The California Health Collaborative is fortunate to partner with RAMP for Technical Assistance in implementing our Asthma Remediation program. Agencies, managed care plans and other stakeholders have a vast array of confusing, often conflicting information regarding this new benefit. RAMP has helped us quickly survey, understand, and focus on the most relevant, highest-quality content. In addition, RAMP has referred us to several organizations we have partnered with to share best practices, shadowing opportunities, and formal training programs. RAMP has been an invaluable partner; they have been great to work with and have helped equip us for success in record time!John Bodtker
California Health Collaborative
RAMP’s work over the past decade has been invaluable to me as a representative from a Federally Qualified Health Center collaborating with Healthy Homes partner agencies in South Los Angeles. RAMP is an invaluable source of information and in-depth analysis of state-level operational, political, and financial mechanisms that impact asthma remediation. RAMP’s leadership of diverse, statewide workgroups enable us to learn and share best practices and to shape collective advocacy strategies to support and improve everyone’s work.Tina Christopulos, MPH
St. John’s Community Health
RAMP’s work over the past decade has been invaluable to me as a representative from a Federally Qualified Health Center collaborating with Healthy Homes partner agencies in South Los Angeles. RAMP is an invaluable source of information and in-depth analysis of state-level operational, political, and financial mechanisms that impact asthma remediation. RAMP’s leadership of diverse, statewide workgroups enable us to learn and share best practices and to shape collective advocacy strategies to support and improve everyone’s work.Tina Christopulos, MPH
St. John’s Community Health
For more information about PHI’S RAMP, view their website.
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