Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Massachusetts Department of Public Healths (MDPH) Asthma Prevention and Control Program (APCP) seeks health and safety consultants for its Asthma Disparities Initiative (ADI) phase #3. Phase #3 of the ADI is focused on improving policies that support improved asthma management and environmental conditions in school settings. APCP seeks consultants from local asthma or community coalitions to provide technical assistance to school districts on both asthma management and environmental safety issues. The community coalitions (e.g., asthma coalitions, wellness or health coalitions, etc), will advise and assist school districts and their school wellness advisory committees in the implementation of components of the Asthma Friendly Schools, and Tools for Schools programs. Details about these programs can be found in the Appendix. As part of this procurement, APCP will fund two coalitions in two separate geographic areas. APCP will fund two coalitions from the seven selected cities and towns listed below (one coalition per city/town) to reduce racial and ethnic asthma disparities in school aged youth. The official names of the selected cities are: Boston, Brockton, Fall River, Lowell, New Bedford, Springfield, and Worcester. These cities were selected because they all: 1) have pediatric asthma prevalence higher than the state average, 2) have a non-White hospitalization rate (Black or Hispanic) for asthma higher than the White asthma hospitalization rate in the community, 3) are all Massachusetts Department of Public Health Essential School Health Service funded communities. Data used in calculating city and town eligibility is available upon request.
