Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Project Title
Improving Access to High Quality Care in East Harlem
Award Amount
$149,750
Location
Manhattan
Web Site
Date Awarded
November 16, 2006
New York State has the highest rate of asthma incidence, morbidity, and mortality in the country. In New York City, the East Harlem community is one of the hardest-hit by asthma in both its child and adult populations.This grant to the Mount Sinai School of Medicine supports a program to improve access to high-quality asthma care for adults in this neighborhood.
Currently, most patients with emergency department or hospital visits are discharged with vague follow-up plans and left to negotiate a fragmented care system with a high risk of relapse. This project creates a new navigator program to ensure that sick patients are connected to timely, high-quality outpatient care. Unlike most asthma programs, which focus on children, majority populations, or have a one-size-fits-all approach, this program tailors its interventions to the needs of specific patients. Major project activities include: (1) development of an integrated patient/physician friendly Asthma Portal to facilitate access to timely, high-quality outpatient asthma care for adults with emergency department visits or hospitalizations at Mount Sinai Hospital; and (2) the design, pilot-testing, and implementation of a novel, patient-tailored, asthma self-management educational program for adults.