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The Rockford Health Council
(RHC) is a not-for-profit organization that represents major healthcare
organizations in northern Illinois. The purpose of the Rockford Health Council
is to improve the overall health of individuals in the northern Illinois
region. The RHC has identified chronic diseases as a major priority in the
region, and thus provides administrative support to the Rockford Asthma
Consortium and other similar groups, like the
Northern Illinois Diabetes Coalition.
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Ray Empereur
is the executive director of the Council. The
RHC’s office is housed at the University of Illinois Medical School in Rockford. |
The Rockford Asthma Consortium (RAC) was
formed in 2000 when the Rockford Health
Council identified asthma as a major community health issue. The chair
of the RAC is Howard Zeitz, M.D., who is the director of allergy and asthma
services at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford. The RAC
is composed of four committees: the Data Committee,
the Education Committee, the Grants Committee, and the Schools Committee. If you are interested in
working with any of the committees, please contact the appropriate committee
chair.
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Data Committee |
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The data
committee is involved in determining how many people in northern Illinois
have asthma and comparing those results to data at the state and national
level. The committee also assists other committees in determining whether
their programs are working to improve the health of individuals affected by
asthma. |
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Nawal Lutfiyya
Data
Committee Chair |
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Education Committee |
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The education committee runs a number of
free programs for those affected by asthma. For organizations, we frequently
do in service training on allergies and asthma.
We have recently launched a successful girl scout program in which we teach
troop members about allergies, asthma and smoking. We have been running an
effective adult self-management program for over 6 years at Rockford
College. We also run teen programs and in collaboration with the American
Lung Association we offer open airways for school age children and asthma
101 for adults. Every May, we host an asthma community conference at the
University of Illinois Medical School.
All of our educational program are based on the needs of the learner. We
tailor our programs and make sure that the presentation is interactive and
enjoyable.
All programs are taught by members of the Rockford Asthma Consortium.
Our committee meets monthly and we always enjoy having new people attend.
E-mail Stuart Tousman or by
phone 815-226-4172. |
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Stuart Tousman
Education Committee Chair |
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Grants Committee |
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The grants committee looks for possible
grants to fund the RAC and applies for such funding. Thanks to the efforts
of the grants committee, the RAC has been awarded a five-year grant from the
Illinois Department of Public Health to fund asthma self-management and
education/support groups for adults, teens, and children. |
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Howard Zeitz
Grants
Committee Chair |
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Schools Committee |
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The
purpose of the schools committee is to develop programs to assist
individuals in the school system who are affected by asthma. The committee
collaborates with the American Lung Association to run programs for teens
(Power Breathing), children (Open Airways), and to train childcare workers
in asthma management (Asthma 101). |
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Mary Fisher
Schools
Committee Chair |
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