Medical Advocates for Healthy Air supplements medical and health education programs with specialized training on the health impacts of air pollution and climate change. This training is delivered to medical residency programs at Levine Children’s Hospital and Duke University Medical Center, at grand rounds and AHEC (Area Health Education Center) events, and other venues. It helps professionals understand the composition and sources of air pollution, the health outcomes and opportunities for anticipatory guidance, and solutions and advocacy actions where MAHA members can make an impact. To schedule a presentation, contact MAHA manager, Rachel McIntosh-Kastrinsky at rachel@cleanaircarolina.org.

Trainings:

• Air Pollution Health Effects and Medical Advocacy as Preventive Medicine
  • Clean Air Carolina – Medical Advocates for Healthy Air
• Particle Pollution and Your Patients’ Health (CME/CEU)
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Evidence-based Training for Healthcare Professionals. This course is designed for family medicine physicians, internists, pediatricians, occupational and rehabilitation physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, asthma educators, pulmonary specialists, cardiologists, and other medical professionals.
• Ozone and Your Patients’ Health (CME/CEU)
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • Learn the science behind ozone’s effect on respiration and how to manage respiratory health using the Air Quality Index.
• Clearing the Air: Protecting Your Patients from Air Pollution (CME/CEU)
  • Charlotte Area Health Education Center
  • Learn how air pollution affects your patients’ health, and how you can help protect your patients from the dangers of exposure to air pollution.

Research Reviews:

• Air Pollution and Fetal Development
• GenX
• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO)

Certain patients are more vulnerable to adverse impacts of exposure to air pollution. These include:

• Children
• Pregnant Women
• People with respiratory illnesses, including allergies
• People with cardiovascular disease
• Psychiatric patients
• Outdoor workers
• Athletes who train or compete outdoors
• African Americans
• People from low-income communities
• Elderly patients

Anticipatory guidance is an important tool for helping these patients avoid exposure to air pollution. Advice can include:

• Following the Air Quality Index
• Reduce outdoor activity level when AQI is high
• Avoid wood burning – including single burn-rate wood stoves and pre-2016 wood-fired forced air furnaces
• Close vents in cars in traffic
• Use HEPA air filters

The EPA and the CDC have a number of fact sheets, brochures, apps and websites that can help inform you and your patients about how to avoid unhealthy air.

• Heart health handouts: https://www.epa.gov/air-research/healthy-heart-toolkit-and-research
• Asthma handout: https://www3.epa.gov/airnow/asthma-flyer.pdf
• Ozone: Ozone and Your Patients’ Health Training
• Particulate Matter
  • https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution
  • http://www.epa.gov/healthyheart
• Air Toxics: https://www.epa.gov/haps
• CDC Course : Pediatric Environmental Health Toolkit

The Air Quality Index is one of the most important tools for reducing exposure to air pollution. This index reports daily air quality and what associated health effects might be a concern. You can obtain posters and handouts of the color codes from the NC Division of Air Quality. You and your patients can get the forecast air quality for today and tomorrow sent to your email each day, and you can check it through apps online and on your phone.

• Air Quality Forecast
• Air Quality Index handouts (also available in Spanish)
• Infographic: What to Do on Poor Air Quality Days? (Adult)
• Infographic: What to Do on Poor Air Quality Days? (Child)
• Additional Air Quality Index information

In partnership with Moms Clean Air Force and Mothers & Others for Clean Air, MAHA has developed trainings on working with the media and with state legislators. 

• How Does Government Work?
  In this webinar, we discuss the structure of our government and how it works.
• Your Voice Matters! Ways You Can Advocate
  Learn important tips on communicating your story to your elected officials and other ways you can make a difference.
• How to Talk with Elected Officials
  This video explores the advocacy tactic of meeting with policy makers.
• Media Engagement
  This webinar discusses strategies on speaking with the press.