The Lung Association is partnering with community organizations and health systems to share vital information on lung health. Many of these partners work with communities who are at greater risk of harm from unhealthy air, including children, older adults and people who live in highly polluted areas.
One such initiative seeks to support people with lung disease and their caregivers in Phoenix, Arizona. Part of the public health intervention named “Reducing the Lung Health Burden of the Climate Crisis," we hope to educate and implement quality improvements in Phoenix because it is currently one of the worst metropolitan areas for air pollution in the United States.
Teaching Communities to Fight Air Pollution
A diverse group of 22 partners are helping reach community members with lung health education. About 16% of adults in Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, are living with asthma or COPD and 8% of children are living with pediatric asthma. In addition, many residents are at increased risk of lung disease exacerbations and illness from poor air quality. But most residents are unaware of these risks.
One crucial step in helping people understand their risk and get treated accordingly is to educate the local physicians about air pollution and the associated health impacts. The Maricopa County Medical Society (MCMS) has agreed to be one local partner who will focus on this issue. “At MCMS, we recognize that clean air is essential to a healthy community. By supporting policies that reduce pollution, educating physicians on environmental health impacts, and engaging in public awareness, MCMS is committed to advancing air quality as a critical component of public and preventive health,” explained MCMS’s CEO and Executive Director, Desire’e Hardge, MBA. Hardge is also a member of the Lung Health and Air Quality Stakeholder Committee, a group of individuals and organization representatives who are passionate about clean air and lung health and provide guidance for this initiative.
Another partner that has served on the Stakeholder Committee and has been instrumental in providing education is Valley of the Sun YMCA. The YMCA has helped distribute air quality sensors and increase awareness about the free support available through our Lung Health Navigator program. Air quality sensors are being provided to community members with lung disease and their caregivers so that they can check the air quality and make informed decisions about how much time they spend outside. Education about the impacts of poor air quality and how to stay safe on unhealthy air days is provided with each sensor. The YMCA also developed a social media campaign to raise awareness about the Lung Health Navigator program, helping connect the people they serve with free lung health support.
AllThrive365, an organization that helps Arizonans age with confidence, has educated 170 individuals using the Lung Association’s curriculum, “Poor Air Quality Impacts Lung Health.” The curriculum is designed for community outreach and teaches participants how poor air quality impacts the lungs, how to respond when air quality is unhealthy and how to find support for themselves and their loved ones. Providing older adults with this information is important because they are at increased risk of harm from air pollution for several reasons; the aging process decreases lung function, older immune systems do not work as well to protect against inhaled pollutants, there is an increased risk of respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and older adults are more likely to be living with one or more chronic illness, which can be made worse by unhealthy air exposure.
Implementing Quality Improvements
In implementing and evaluating quality improvement projects, a cohort of quality improvement partners include Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Denova Collaborative Health and Wee Care Pediatrics, are making changes to help reduce the impact of poor air quality. While there are many existing quality improvement frameworks designed to reduce healthcare emissions and environmental impacts, these projects, designed collaboratively between the Lung Association and partners, are patient-centered and aim to inspire behavior changes that reduce the risks of harm from unhealthy air.
Phoenix Children’s Hospital is teaching patients with asthma and their caregivers about air quality during a severe asthma clinic. Their team has created an air quality education curriculum and resources to distribute, and they are gathering feedback to learn how patients are responding. Christina Kwong, MD, shared that, through this project, they are “able to offer more comprehensive education.” The curriculum includes teaching how to check local air quality, when to determine if it is safe outside and empowering participants to make informed decisions to protect their lungs. This exciting new project is being implemented by providers who work with a population that is at high risk, as both young age and having asthma are risk factors.
Denova Collaborative Health is educating patients through e-messaging alerts and outreach. Partners at Denova are passionate about caring for the whole person, which includes addressing the environments where patients live and work. Vice President of Medical Operations, Angela Roumain, RN, MPH, CPHQ, stated, “Approximately 60% of the individuals we serve are on Medicaid, and many live in under-resourced, high-traffic areas of Phoenix where access to green space is limited. Through this partnership, we provide education, tools, and support so patients can better understand the link between their environment and their health. We’re also empowering them with practical ways to protect themselves and advocate for healthier communities.”
Wee Care Pediatrics has a goal to empower families through education, which aligns with quality improvement work. Their project aims to educate patients and caregivers about air quality and make telehealth appointments more accessible on unhealthy air days. Wee Care Practice Administrator Mikael Payan explained that many patients do not understand how much of an impact air quality has on their health, and he hopes to empower them to make changes that improve their quality of life with this education. As part of this initiative, patients and families will receive messages alerting them when air quality is poor in their area. If they are scheduled for a non-emergency visit, they will be able to have their appointment via telehealth which will reduce their exposure to air pollution during their commute to the clinic as many of their patients utilize public transportation.
The American Lung Association is proud to partner with every organization involved in “Reducing the Lung Health Burden of the Climate Crisis.” Their collaboration and dedication to protecting lung health are key to supporting people with lung disease and healthcare providers in Maricopa County.
Get Involved
There are multiple ways organizations in Maricopa County can get involved with this public health intervention, including providing education and distributing air quality sensors. Please visit Lung.org/lunghealth-airquality to learn how you or your organization can participate.
If you are a representative of a healthcare organization, the Lung Association offers free feedback and resources to organizations nationwide who would like to implement quality improvement projects to address air quality and lung health. Take the Health System Air Quality Preparedness Assessment to begin.
Blog last updated: July 23, 2025
