Update
Statewide Initiatives Announced by California Governor Highlight PHI Programs
Two public health initiatives recently announced by California Governor Gavin Newsom will expand life-saving access to care, anchored by partnerships with CA Bridge Center and the Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP) Program.
California is making lifesaving treatment more accessible for millions across the state. CA Bridge Center and the Regional Asthma Management and Prevention (RAMP) Program, both programs of the Public Health Institute, are highlighted in recent press releases from the Office of the Governor:
Expanding Access to Emergency Asthma Treatment in Schools
The School Albuterol Access Initiative will supply free emergency asthma medication to more than 10,000 public and charter schools statewide, protecting the roughly 1 million California students with asthma and reducing absenteeism from asthma-related sickness.
Roughly 1 in 3 kids in California with active asthma symptoms miss at least one week of school every year. The initiative will provide no-cost inhalers, spacers and emergency medication in public, charter and transitional kindergarten schools (TK-12). The program will also provide training to schools at no cost.
Providing access to quick-relief medications, with appropriate training for school staff, is a critical component of a comprehensive approach to improving asthma outcomes — another example of California’s leadership that will quite literally help children breathe easier.Anne Kelsey Lamb, MPH
Director, PHI’s Regional Asthma Management & Prevention
California sends FREE life-saving asthma inhalers to ALL schools
Read Press Release
Providing Same-Day Support for Substance Use Treatment
Also announced was the statewide launch of CA Bridge Connect, a call and text helpline that provides access to immediate, evidence-based and compassionate substance use treatment. An initiative of the Public Health Institute’s CA Bridge Center with funding from the California Department of Health Care Services, CA Bridge Connect is just one part of broader efforts addressing the opioid epidemic and preventing overdose.
The confidential helpline is staffed by trained Behavioral Health Navigators who can provide connection to a range of support and treatment options, regardless of insurance coverage.
Accessing treatment can be difficult in fragmented health systems. Through strong clinical partnerships and dedicated Behavioral Health Navigators, we are committed to making it easier for anyone to access care quickly. No one should face addiction alone.Arianna Campbell, DMSc, MPH, PA-C
Co-founder, Bridge Center
California becomes first state to offer same-day and ongoing opioid treatment support
Originally published by Office of the California Governor
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