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SPRINGFIELD, MA — The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts (PHIWM) is pleased to announce a new $300,000 investment from Sanofi to expand its work improving respiratory health across Western Massachusetts. Building on years of work through the Healthy Air Network and Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition , PHIWM has launched a new Respiratory Health Advisory Board , bringing together resident leaders, community organizations, healthcare providers, community health workers, and other stakeholders to advance solutions that promote healthier lungs and healthier communities. The Advisory Board includes Resident Advisors from communities most impacted by respiratory health inequities, ensuring that residents help shape priorities, strategies, and solutions. Respiratory health inequities are driven by a range of factors, including environmental exposures, substandard housing conditions, barriers to healthcare access, and limited awareness of strategies that can prevent emergencies and hospitalizations that increase healthcare costs and economic burdens on families and communities. “We are grateful for Sanofi’s partnership as we deepen our coalition’s work to implement successful strategies and build more linkages to healthcare providers in Springfield, Chicopee and Holyoke,” said Jessica Collins, Executive Director of PHIWM . “With the involvement of people who experience respiratory health issues and key partners, we can reduce inequities and help more people live healthier lives.” The funding will support existing and new approaches to respiratory health that combine community engagement, healthy homes interventions, education, policy advocacy, and healthcare partnerships. Over the next three years, Sanofi's investment will support efforts to: Convene and expand a regional respiratory health coalition and advisory board to guide the work. Expand and strengthen the Healthy Homes initiative by working with healthcare and Revitalize CDC to provide education and home-based interventions to improve indoor air quality, connect residents with healthcare and community resources, and strengthen referral pathways supported by Community Health Workers. Partner with statewide coalitions to advance respiratory health policies and systems changes which include : Securing potential new bond funding for the Massachusetts Healthy Homes Program --currently being considered by the MA Legislature’s conference committee for the environmental bond bill; Implementing hopeful new policies (also in that conference committee) to better track and mitigate both indoor and outdoor air quality; and Identifying sustainable financing approaches to support the work of Community Navigators and Community Health Workers. Expand respiratory health communications and education to help residents recognize symptoms earlier, better manage respiratory conditions, and access available resources. Information will be shared through community workshops, partner networks, Resident Advisors, PHIWM’s website, and the AirWatch app, covering topics such as asthma and COPD management, indoor and outdoor air quality, tobacco and vaping cessation, lung cancer screening, and other respiratory health resources. "At Sanofi, we believe some of the most promising solutions to local health challenges come from the communities closest to them. By working with community-based stakeholders, like PHIWM and including organizations, patients, providers, and legislative leaders, we aim to support those solutions," said Tanisha M. Sullivan, Head of External Engagement and U.S. Health Equity Strategy at Sanofi . “As a company with deep Massachusetts roots, our commitment to this work goes beyond a single program to lasting relationships and sustainable policy solutions designed to help improve respiratory health in Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee, and across the state." This funding from Sanofi comes at a critical time as communities across Western Massachusetts face growing respiratory health challenges driven by climate-related impacts and changes in healthcare access and insurance coverage that make it more difficult for some residents to access preventive care and treatment. Statements of Support “Western Massachusetts communities suffer from some of the highest rates of asthma in the nation. My office has long supported efforts to address the environmental, housing, and healthcare factors that contribute to this inequity,” said Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell . “I’m grateful to Sanofi for their contributions to improve respiratory health in the area, including supporting increased access to medical care and education.” “Springfield’s history as an environmentally overburdened community has contributed to respiratory disease rates among the highest in the nation. Sanofi’s investment is both timely and greatly appreciated, as it strengthens our collective efforts to confront these inequities and advance meaningful health improvements across the Hampden District,” said State Senator Adam Gómez. “Their partnership demonstrates what is possible when we work together to support healthier homes, healthier air, and healthier lives.” “Massachusetts has some of the highest rates of adult and childhood asthma in the country, with Springfield, Holyoke, and Chicopee ranking near the top for the state,” said Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health . “This new funding will help to urgently address respiratory health in the region, and will support work the Department does in schools and communities to reduce asthma triggers. These types of partnerships – bringing communities and health care together – are exactly what we need to make our homes and schools healthier.” ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts supports communities in their efforts to become measurably healthier and more equitable through community engagement, collaborative partnerships, communications, data analysis, research and evaluation, and policy advocacy. PHIWM is committed to continuous learning, fostering collaboration, and amplifying the voices of those we serve. For more information, visit PublicHealthWM.org.

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The AirWatch app puts real-time, hyper-local air quality information right in your hands. See what’s happening in the air around you, get personalized alerts when air quality is poor, and stay informed about environmental conditions that can affect your health. This app was developed through an extensive, community-driven design and testing process. The app transforms complex air quality data into clear, easy-to-understand information so individuals and families can make informed decisions about their health. Download the AirWatch app today .

The Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program offers free resources that connect individuals to quit coaching, personalized quit plans, medication support, and the Massachusetts Quitline. These services are available for both tobacco users and individuals looking to quit vaping, including young adults. To help organizations promote these resources, the state provides a social media toolkit with ready-made graphics, videos, and messaging that can be incorporated into newsletters, social media campaigns, websites, and community outreach efforts. Through the Capacity Building for Racial Equity in Tobacco project, PHIWM partnered with Springfield Cultural Partnership’s Trust Transfer Project, which commissioned local artists to create posters that promote hope, wellness, and tobacco cessation through culturally relevant artwork. These posters can be downloaded and displayed to increase awareness and connect individuals with available support.  Explore the resources: Take the first step toward a nicotine-free life Quit vaping Social media toolkit Trust Transfer Project Collaboration posters

The Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts (PHIWM) is expanding its longstanding asthma prevention efforts into a regional Respiratory Health Coalition focused on reducing health inequities in the region with particular attention to Springfield, Holyoke, and Chicopee. Building on the success of the Pioneer Valley Asthma Coalition and Healthy Air Network, the coalition will expand to address COPD, and lung cancer as well as asthma through coordinated action on prevention, education, environmental health, access to care, and policy advocacy. By bringing together healthcare providers, community organizations, residents, employers, public health leaders, and policymakers, the coalition will advance sustainable solutions that improve respiratory health outcomes while reducing the social and economic burden of chronic lung disease. This new Respiratory Health coalition will be meeting through the fall to finalize planning on communications, education, and policy advocacy. We have recruited 10 Resident Advisors to bring community resident voices to our process. In addition, we have representatives from Baystate Health, the cities of Chicopee, Holyoke & Springfield, Caring Health Center, Hitchcock Center for the Environment, Holyoke Health Center, Nuestras Raices, ReGreen Springfield, and Revitalize CDC. To learn more about Respiratory Health efforts, please sign up for our new Respiratory Health newsletter or contact Sarita Hudson, shudson@publichealthwm.org

Source: MDPH Hospital Admissions, State Tables

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