UCAN: You can control asthma – now
High pollen count and socioeconomic factors that contribute to airway irritation and flareups make Richmond one of the most difficult places to live with asthma.
Though the condition can be life-threatening, with proper management your child can take control, get active and be healthy, even with asthma. Our pediatric asthma team offers relief to hundreds of children throughout central Virginia and beyond.
We help families living with asthma through:
Patient-centered, culturally sensitive, relationship-based medical care:
- Consistent providers
- Frequent, regular follow-up
- 24-hour phone access
- Educational support to promote disease self-management
Case management to ensure coordination of needed care:
- Scheduling
- Transportation
- Asthma assessment of other family members
Screening and follow-up of social needs:
- Mental health
- Food and housing needs
- Advocacy
- Referrals for home visits
Our team includes doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and a social worker. The entire family receives support to learn about asthma, understand the medication used to control asthma, identify triggers and help look at environmental factors that affect health.
We work with partner agencies to help families evaluate asthma triggers in their homes, advocate for families who are living in substandard apartments or houses, and provide referral services to families in financial or housing crisis.
What is asthma?
Asthma is a condition that affects the lungs and a person's breathing. It causes the airways to swell and narrow and produce extra mucus.
Learn more about asthma
Asthma triggers and how to avoid them
One way to keep asthma under control is to avoid things that trigger airway irritation. You or your child might not be affected by all of the triggers on this list.
Learn more about the common asthma triggers
Treating asthma
There are two primary kinds of medicine to treat asthma, fast-acting "rescue" medication and long-acting "controller" medication.
Learn more about how to treat asthma
COVID-19 and asthma: Back to in-person school
Questions?
Asthma resources
Schedule a UCAN appointment
If your child has asthma, don't delay. Contact us now and take steps toward relief.
(804) 628-UCAN (8226)