title: Creating District Readiness for Implementing Evidence-Based School-Centered Asthma Programs: Denver Public Schools as a Case Study.
abstract: Asthma is a common chronic childhood disease that is associated with high rates of school absenteeism and educational disparities. Effective school-based programs exist that are able to reduce school absenteeism and the burden that asthma exacts on students. However, despite the availability of effective school-centered asthma programs conducted as research projects, many schools have struggled to implement the programs and experience their benefits. As the literature from the implementation sciences highlights, readiness of the school environment is crucial and central to success. This is an often overlooked and underacknowledged aspect to successful implementation. This article provides a case study of a large school district, highlighting its experience in preparing the district for broad-scale implementation of a school-centered asthma program.
authors.affiliation: Director, Community Outreach and Research, National Jewish Health, Director, Clinical Science Program, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver, CO.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cicutto
authors.affiliation: Manager of the Department of Nursing and Student Health Services at Denver Public Schools, Denver, CO.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shocks
authors.affiliation: Senior Instructor, University of Colorado; Associate Director of School Centered Asthma Programs, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gleason
authors.affiliation: School Nurse, Denver, CO.
authors.forename: Christy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haas-Howard
authors.affiliation: Liaison, Denver Public Schools, Denver, CO.
authors.forename: Marty
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Medical Director and Director of the Pediatric Asthma Research Program, Children's Hospital Colorado; Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO.
authors.forename: Stanley J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Szefler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001249:Asthma / Q000451:nursing*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003120:Colorado; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016730:Program Development; D012572:School Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D012573:School Nursing / Q000592:standards*
keywords: asthma; case study; implementation; leadership; partnerships; readiness; school; school environment