Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital Earns Asthma Center of Excellence Platinum Level Recognition From Florida Asthma Coalition

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital has achieved certification as an Asthma-Friendly Hospital by the Florida Asthma Coalition, highlighting its commitment to providing a safe and healthy environment for pediatric patients with asthma, the most common chronic disease in children and one of the most frequent reasons for hospital admissions.

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital has successfully met all four criteria required for this prestigious designation

• Completing asthma management-related professional development for the asthma team lead, hospital pulmonologists, and at least one other specialty.
  
  
• Providing all patients with an admitted diagnosis of asthma with a written asthma action plan.
  
  
• Ensuring all patients with an admitting diagnosis of asthma are provided with or referred to self-management education that meets EPR-3 Guidelines for adults and children discharged from emergency departments or hospital inpatient settings.
  
  
• Providing all patients with severe, persistent asthma with referrals and/or information about multi-component home-based asthma management education.

“We are proud to offer comprehensive asthma care, from initial diagnosis through long-term management. Receiving the Asthma-Friendly Hospital certification from the Florida Asthma Coalition reflects our team’s dedication to ensuring patients receive the highest standard of care in a safe environment,” says Juan C. Martinez, MD, chief of the Pediatric Pulmonary, Cystic Fibrosis, and Sleep Medicine Program at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

Although asthma-management treatments and medications have improved in recent years, the number of children with asthma has increased. At Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, the pediatric pulmonologists assist referring physicians in evaluating and confirming the diagnosis of asthma in children with recurrent symptoms and managing asthma that is difficult to control.

Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital has been rated among the nation's top healthcare facilities in providing high-quality pediatric asthma care. The hospital has been recognized for consistently meeting the requirements of The Joint Commission's Children's Asthma Care (CAC) core measures. Current compliance rates are among the highest nationally for children's hospitals, and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital is the only hospital in Florida to consistently achieve such high rates of compliance.

Notably, 99% of patients received a "Home Management Plan of Care," which includes education about the home management of asthma and the scheduled follow-up appointment after discharge. This rate, significantly higher than the national average, reflects the hospital’s commitment to family involvement and education in the management of chronic illnesses such as asthma. Education about asthma and the development of an individualized Home Management Plan of Care have been shown to decrease readmissions to the hospital.

For more information or to make an appointment with a pulmonology specialist, please call 954-265-6333.