# RVA Breathes: A Richmond City Collaboration to Reduce Pediatric Asthma Disparities

> **NIH NIH U01** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $1,281,724

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract.
Despite the existence of several evidence-based asthma treatments, and increased understanding of effective
community-based interventions for high-risk pediatric populations, childhood asthma disparities persist.
Richmond is often cited as the “Asthma Capital” of the U.S. by the Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America,
and is consistently identified as one of the most challenging places to live with asthma. To date, however, there
is no comprehensive, community-engaged asthma care program for those children at highest risk for poor
asthma outcomes. To address this urgent public health concern, our investigative team conducted a year-long,
mixed-methods community needs assessment (U34HL130759). Key priority areas that emerged included peer
support, advocacy, treating the home as a system, increased school nurse education, and coordination with
schools and providers. Our community-engaged team translated the needs assessment findings to a program,
RVA Breathes, that coordinates asthma care across four sectors: the family, home, community, and medical
care. RVA Breathes includes family-based asthma self-management education (delivered by Community
Health Workers [CHWs] with the Institute for Public Health Innovation), home environmental remediation (with
Richmond City Health District’s Healthy Homes Initiative), and a school nurse component (with elementary
schools in the Richmond City Public School System). These interventions capitalize among existing resources
and relationships with stakeholders in Richmond, each of which is committed to RVA Breathes. Three-hundred
children with asthma and their caregivers will participate in a randomized clinical trial of RVA Breathes. After
completing a baseline assessment, families will be randomized to one of three conditions: 1) asthma education
+ home remediation + school intervention, 2) asthma education + home remediation and 3) comparator
condition (Enhanced Standard of Care, E-SOC). Families will participate in the program for 12 months and
complete follow-up assessments (post-treatment and 3-, 6-, and 12-months) to measure changes in healthcare
utilization and the impact of the program on child asthma outcomes. Conditions will be compared on the
primary outcomes of healthcare utilization, including asthma-specific ED visits and hospital admissions, as well
as school absences and medication usage; secondary outcomes include asthma control, symptoms, and
quality of life. We will also evaluate the sustainability of RVA Breathes after 12 months (without active
intervention), including a review of qualitative data from participants and stakeholders in the program. Findings
from this trial will allow for dissemination and implementation of RVA Breathes as a sustainable program in the
Richmond area.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9995388
- **Project number:** 5U01HL138682-04
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Robin S Everhart
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $1,281,724
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-15 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9995388

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9995388, RVA Breathes: A Richmond City Collaboration to Reduce Pediatric Asthma Disparities (5U01HL138682-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9995388. Licensed CC0.

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