New England Asthma Innovation Collaborative (NEAIC) a program of Health Resources in Action (HRiA)

Organized by Heath Resources in Action’s Asthma Regional Council (ARC), the New England Asthma Innovation Collaborative (NEAIC) is a multisector initiative covering four states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont. Funded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (the Innovation Center), NEAIC was designed to support infrastructures that deliver home visiting services to primarily Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)-enrolled children (ages 2–17) with poorly controlled asthma. NEAIC has trained clinical staff and community health workers (CHWs) to provide cost-effective, high-quality and culturally competent asthma home visiting services. CHWs—supervised by a nurse or certified asthma educator—have provided three to four home visits for 1,145 children, educating their caregivers and delivering low-cost supplies to help families reduce environmental asthma triggers. Through the efforts of the CHWs, NEAIC has seen a substantial decrease in hospital admissions and urgent care visits and a reduction in missed school days and work days because of asthma. Though Innovation Center funding has concluded, several provider sites are continuing CHW services, and NEAIC continues to promote sustainable financing for these important efforts.