WOODLAND – Many children living in Northampton County are afflicted with asthma. Pediatric asthma makes it hard for little ones to breathe and can affect their daily lives in many ways.

May is Asthma Awareness Month to raise awareness of this disease that affects children. For the past six years, the CADA Head Start Program in Woodland has partnered with the Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital’s Pediatric Asthma Program to help children cope with the disease of pediatric asthma.

“The team at Woodland’s CADA Head Start has strived to support the parents and guardians of young children in their area by providing a safe environment for the youth to learn and grow,” explains Candace Cahoon, BSAS, RRT, RCP, pediatric asthma program coordinator and case manager at Vidant RCH. “When you walk through the doors of this program you can instantly recognize the love and support that the staff provides for their students.”

CADA Head Start provides early childhood education to help children improve social skills, advance emotional development, and expand their cognitive thinking abilities. The children are also provided services for strong physical development. They receive physical evaluations, as well as dental, speech, vision, and hearing screenings.

“The staff at CADA have received training from our pediatric asthma case manager team on recognizing oncoming asthma attacks, administering medications, and properly caring for a child struggling with uncontrolled asthma,” says Cahoon. “The teachers work to ensure that each child with this condition has the proper equipment and medications needed to treat an asthma attack readily available at school.”

Case managers have also worked with the team on developing and implementing strategies that help prevent exacerbations (asthma attacks) such as administering rescue medications for prevention and helping the children avoid known asthma triggers. All of these interventions are provided with the guidance of the child’s primary care physician.

The staff at Head Start have also referred children to the pediatric asthma program at Vidant RCH. This case management program provides case management including school and home visits and assists parents/guardians teaching them about the management and treatment of pediatric asthma. Many children and families have received assistance because they were referred by the teachers at CADA Head Start in Woodland.

“The staff of CADA Head Start has played a huge role in helping to decrease hospital and emergency department visits among these children,” states Cahoon. “It’s because of partnerships like this that our pediatric asthma program has grown. We are grateful to this team that helps us continue to improve the health and well-being of the children throughout Northampton County.”

For more information about the Pediatric Asthma Case Management Program at Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, contact Cahoon at 252-209-3117.