Wee Wheezers Asthma Education Program

Implemented in Darnell Army Community Hospital, Ft. Hood, Texas by MAS Consultants Inc., P.O. Box 5130 Aiken, South Carolina 29804.

Wee Wheezers: Operation of Replicated Program

Since its first asthma education offering in 1998, the DACH-AIR staff has conducted Wee Wheezers classes for hundreds of parents and children with asthma. Classes are held in the DACH auditorium. Each Thursday afternoon is dedicated to teaching asthma classes, and parent and children’s classes are conducted separately during the same time period (Table 2).

Format

Wee Wheezers is offered in two formats: one for the primary caretakers of children aged less than 5 years, and one for the caretakers and children age 5-12 (an older upper age limit than that for which the program was designed). Attendance is deliberately kept small to allow for ample participant interaction and application of the learning activities for the children. The children’s sessions are always team-taught. The facilitator for the children’s session is a certified elementary school teacher and counselor. An on-staff registered nurse, a respiratory therapist, and a pharmacist each conduct relevant segments of the children’s sessions. A well-experienced registered nurse conducts the caretaker’s sessions.

Instructor Training

No formal instructor training is provided specifically to teach Wee Wheezers. The DACH-Air instructors are all experienced health professionals. New instructors observe the class in session, instruct a portion of a next class under the direction of a more senior instructor, and are phased in to become one of the team teachers.

Program Funding

Initial funding to support Wee Wheezers was secured from the facility commander when the Asthma Process Action Team projected a 30% cost avoidance created by reductions in emergency department visits and admissions. Today, Wee Wheezers is funded as an operating cost of the hospital’s pulmonary clinic. The only full-time employee associated with the asthma education program is the DACH-Air coordinator. DACH supplied asthma instructors are full-time employees of the hospital who participate in the asthma program as part of their duties. The instructors supplied by Health Net Federal Services are part-time asthma instructors.

Program Evaluation

Initial funding to support Wee Wheezers was secured from the facility commander when the Asthma Process Action Team projected a 30% cost avoidance created by reductions in emergency department visits and admissions. Today, Wee Wheezers is funded as an operating cost of the hospital’s pulmonary clinic. The only full-time employee associated with the asthma education program is the DACH-Air coordinator. DACH supplied asthma instructors are full-time employees of the hospital who participate in the asthma program as part of their duties. The instructors supplied by Health Net Federal Services are part-time asthma instructors.