UTHSCT's Breath of Life Mobile Unit previewed, ready to go on the road

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler will introduce its Breath of Life Mobile Asthma Clinic during a special "Roll-Out Reveille" at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, on the Winona school district campus, 605 Wildcat Drive in Winona.

Tony Moore, public information director for UTHSCT said the Breath of Life Mobile Asthma Clinic is a new communityoutreach program from UTHSCT that will treat children with asthma at their school. Asthma accounts for 14 million missed days of school annually and is the No. 1 reason that students miss school. The fully equipped mobile clinic will see all children in a school district regardless of ability to pay. It will make scheduled visits to the Winona School District campus and is staffed by a health care team that specializes in treating asthma.

Moore said the mobile clinic is only scheduled for Winona at this time but future plans hope to have the mobile unit visiting school districts throughout East Texas if there is interest by other school districts.

The custom-built mobile clinic is equipped with state-ofthe art technology used by specialists to help diagnose and treat asthma. A team of specially trained health care providers will travel to schools throughout East Texas to identify and treat children with asthma.

Moore said children diagnosed with asthma will receive a comprehensive, individualized asthma management program, as well as education on selfmanagement so they can care for their asthma at home.

Studies have shown that chil- dren who participate in similar programs miss fewer school days due to asthma-related problems, have fewer asthma attacks and emergency room visits, are admitted to a hospital less frequently, and significantly improve their quality of life.

Two Winona ISD students with asthma, as well as two physicians from UTHSCT, pediatrician Dr. Barbara Huggins and asthma specialist Dr. Paul Sharkey, will be available for interviews at the roll out. In addition, Winona ISD Superintendent Wiley Vonner and area civic and political leaders are expected to attend.