Matthew Brandt Chief Financial Officer | St. Francis Healthcare
Matthew Brandt Chief Financial Officer | St. Francis Healthcare
Saint Francis Clinic in Poplar Bluff will host an event on June 6, marking a significant milestone in Missouri's efforts to combat pediatric asthma. The initiative, known as "At Last! Pediatric Asthma Care at Home" (ALPACAH), focuses on providing innovative asthma monitoring and support directly to the homes of children in rural areas.
The program is led by BioSTL’s Center for Rural Health Innovation, Asthma Ready Communities, and NuvoAir Medical. ALPACAH aims to improve asthma care for rural children with uncontrolled asthma, which affects nearly half of Missouri's 115,000 children diagnosed with the condition.
Families participating in the program will gather at Saint Francis Clinic – Poplar Bluff to meet healthcare providers and discuss their experiences. They will demonstrate how remote technology and personalized support are enhancing asthma management.
Vijay Chauhan, Head of the Center for Rural Health Innovation at BioSTL, stated: “Bringing world-class medical care to rural Missourians is good for everyone. ALPACAH is about delivering 24/7 care where families live, using cutting-edge tools to prevent emergencies before they start.”
Through ALPACAH, high-risk children received various tools such as home-use spirometers for lung function tracking and inhaler sensors for medication monitoring. Customized Asthma Action Plans were provided for both school and home environments. Regular virtual check-ins with NuvoAir providers were conducted alongside educational text messages tailored to families' needs. Additional supplies like spacers, nebulizers, and nasal rinses were also distributed.
These resources facilitate daily monitoring and early intervention, significantly reducing hospital visits while empowering families through education and confidence-building measures that address gaps left by traditional acute-care visits.
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