Skip to main content

Part of The University of Texas System

UT Health San AntonioUT Health San Antonio

Part of the University of Texas System

2-year program is holistic effort to ease asthma in Bexar children

Time & Date

Thursday, September 20, 2018

2-year program is holistic effort to ease asthma in Bexar children


In budget hearings Sept. 13, the San Antonio City Council approved $751,000 for a two-year pilot program to reduce asthma hospitalizations in high-risk children. The effort’s principal investigator, Mandie Svatek, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at UT Health San Antonio, said the program is a holistic approach to lowering the city’s childhood asthma burden.

“In 2014, the pediatric asthma hospitalization rate in Bexar County was more than 170 percent of that of the state,” said Dr. Svatek, who chairs the San Antonio Asthma Coalition. “This cost more than $3,400 per child for inpatient treatment. Children with asthma also miss more than a week of school each year in the county.”

The Pediatric Managing Asthma Through Care at Home (PMATCH) program will send community health workers (promotoras) to the homes of high-risk children to assess allergen exposures, environmental hazards and other social disparities of health that affect a child’s asthma symptomatology.

The program will coordinate with each child’s primary care provider, asthma case manager and school nurse to proactively reduce the number of children hospitalized in Bexar County. Families will also be referred for needed resources to organizations such as Haven for Hope, medical legal partnerships, and the San Antonio Food Bank, Dr. Svatek said.

“Our program is modeled after programs in other states, including some in Michigan,” Dr. Svatek said. Partners of UT Health San Antonio’s Department of Pediatrics include the UT School of Public Health and the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. Referrals for medical care will be made to all health systems, including University Health System, Baptist Health System, Methodist Healthcare and CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System.

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, now called UT Health San Antonio®, is one of the country’s leading health sciences universities. With missions of teaching, research, healing and community engagement, its schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced 35,850 alumni who are leading change, advancing their fields and renewing hope for patients and their families throughout South Texas and the world. To learn about the many ways “We make lives better®,” visit www.uthscsa.edu.

The post 2-year program is holistic effort to ease asthma in Bexar children appeared first on UT Health San Antonio.


Share this news item
Map image of UT Health San Antonio location

UT Health San Antonio

7703 Floyd Curl Drive
San Antonio, TX 78229

210-567-7000

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linked In
  • Instagram
  • Contact us
  • Maps & directions
  • Job openings

We make lives better ®

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, also called UT Health San Antonio, is a leading academic health center with a mission to make lives better through excellence in advanced academics, life-saving research and comprehensive clinical care including health, dental and cancer services.

Web Privacy | Links from websites affiliated with UT Health's website (uthscsa.edu) to other websites do not constitute or imply university endorsement of those sites, their content, or products and services associated with those sites. The content on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Health information on this site is not meant to be used to diagnose or treat conditions. Consult a health care provider if you are in need of treatment.