-OPEC oil embargo leads to population boom in Houston
When the members of OPEC declared an embargo against the U.S., the petroleum industry in Houston experienced a major boom as the U.S. depended heavily on oil drilling on home soil. This led to many people moving to Houston for work on the oil fields, and also a serious decline in environmental health, as the production of fossil fuels and the surge of people using them in Houston rapidly increased. This period of rapid growth and pollution severely decreased the air quality in Houston and made it much more hazardous to lung health.
Houston traffic after the population boom of the 1970s.
-NEISD Asthma Awareness Program wins EPA award
In 2013 the North East Independent School District (NEISD) won the National Environmental Leadership Award in 2013 for their Asthma Awareness Education Program (AAEP). The school district, which is based in San Antonio, has also received praise from the Texas Department of State Health Services. For example, inhaler use on campus was halved due to environmental precautions put in place by the AAEP to improve air quality and reduce the need for inhalers. Also, emergency medical service requests dropped drastically as well. Given the success here, one can hope that the methods put in place here will be brought over into places that need better asthma care, like Houston, and that it will translate over effectively as well.
Some of the staff behind the NEISD program.
-Houston to offer some medications at $0 co-pay
Starting in May of 2015, the City of Houston will offer certain asthma medications to citizens for a $0 co-pay. As part of a complete overhaul of the city's healthcare system, it has transitioned to a self-funded system that aims at prevention and overall well-being. After an initial increase in costs associated with an upsurge of people diagnosed with chronic ailment, the system has now saved $42 million dollars in the past three years. Asthma drugs will not be the only ones offered at no cost, as hypertension and cardiovascular medications will also be sold with no co-pay. The city was already offering generic medications and diabetes drugs for no co-pay. With this initiative, we hope that more people who are suffering from asthma can get access to medications that they previously could not obtain, and that this will lower healthcare costs overall by reducing hospital stays for asthma patients.
List of asthma inhalers, which are now fully sponsored by the City of Houston.
When the members of OPEC declared an embargo against the U.S., the petroleum industry in Houston experienced a major boom as the U.S. depended heavily on oil drilling on home soil. This led to many people moving to Houston for work on the oil fields, and also a serious decline in environmental health, as the production of fossil fuels and the surge of people using them in Houston rapidly increased. This period of rapid growth and pollution severely decreased the air quality in Houston and made it much more hazardous to lung health.
Houston traffic after the population boom of the 1970s.
-NEISD Asthma Awareness Program wins EPA award
In 2013 the North East Independent School District (NEISD) won the National Environmental Leadership Award in 2013 for their Asthma Awareness Education Program (AAEP). The school district, which is based in San Antonio, has also received praise from the Texas Department of State Health Services. For example, inhaler use on campus was halved due to environmental precautions put in place by the AAEP to improve air quality and reduce the need for inhalers. Also, emergency medical service requests dropped drastically as well. Given the success here, one can hope that the methods put in place here will be brought over into places that need better asthma care, like Houston, and that it will translate over effectively as well.
Some of the staff behind the NEISD program.
-Houston to offer some medications at $0 co-pay
Starting in May of 2015, the City of Houston will offer certain asthma medications to citizens for a $0 co-pay. As part of a complete overhaul of the city's healthcare system, it has transitioned to a self-funded system that aims at prevention and overall well-being. After an initial increase in costs associated with an upsurge of people diagnosed with chronic ailment, the system has now saved $42 million dollars in the past three years. Asthma drugs will not be the only ones offered at no cost, as hypertension and cardiovascular medications will also be sold with no co-pay. The city was already offering generic medications and diabetes drugs for no co-pay. With this initiative, we hope that more people who are suffering from asthma can get access to medications that they previously could not obtain, and that this will lower healthcare costs overall by reducing hospital stays for asthma patients.
List of asthma inhalers, which are now fully sponsored by the City of Houston.