Asthma Regional Council of New England Honored by EPA for Exceptional Efforts to Protect Children

A Dorchester, Mass.-based public health advocacy group has been selected by EPA for prestigious national recognition for their work to protect children.

The Asthma Regional Council of New England (ARC) is one of only 10 groups across the country recognized by EPA at the third Children’s Environmental Health Excellence Awards ceremony, taking place on October 11th in Washington, D.C. ARC is being honored for their outstanding leadership in protecting children from environmental risks.

“We are proud that the Asthma Regional Council has been recognized for their exceptional work to protect children’s health,” said Robert Varney, regional administrator of EPA’s New England regional office. “EPA plays a major role in protecting infants and children, who are more susceptible than adults to some environmental hazards, because their bodies and nervous systems are still developing.”

The Asthma Regional Council, a program of The Medical Foundation in Boston, is a coalition of Federal and state agencies that represent the health, environment, education and housing sectors working together to improve the environmental contributors to asthma across New England.

Four years ago, ARC launched a project to partner with researchers, policy makers, governmental agencies and the health care sector to encourage the health sector’s adoption of best practices for managing asthma, with a particular focus on embedding home-based environmental trigger reduction programs within standard medical care. As a result of ARC’s work, two large Medicaid-managed care plans in Massachusetts are now providing healthy homes inspections and services for their low-income patients with severe asthma.

“I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the Asthma Regional Council, said Laurie Stillman, Executive Director of the Asthma Regional Council (ARC). “ARC’s way of doing business - promoting children’s environmental health through multi-sector partnerships across the entire New England region - is a national model for tackling important health issues like asthma, lead, cancer and heart disease. We are proud that our model is being recognized by our federal partner, the EPA.”

The Children’s Environmental Health Awards are designed to recognize ongoing and sustainable dedication to, and notable leadership in, protecting children from environmental health risks at the local, regional, national and international level.