The National Asthma Educator Certification Board (NAECB) welcomes new board members Guillermo Flores, AE-C; Shawn McCormick, BS, RRT, AE-C; Henry Milgrom, MD; and Dennis Williams, Pharm. D., BCPS, FASHP, AE-C to join in the goal of quality asthma education through the certification process. The certificant-only voting was held in November 2003 with an illustrious slate of nominees. The Board acknowledges and appreciates the participation of many of these certificants in the voting process. The NAECB welcomes the ideas, energy and excitement brought by the new board members in creating a standard of excellence for healthcare professionals throughout the country and world.

Allergist-Henry Milgrom, MD, FAAAAI

Dr. Henry Milgrom graduated from Columbia College and the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine. He trained in pediatrics at Mount Sinai Hospital and at the University of Colorado Medical Center, and in allergy and immunology at Boston Children's Hospital and Scripps Clinic. He worked for 3 years at the CDC in Atlanta in the viral immunology laboratory and he practiced allergy for 8 years in Salinas and Pacific Grove, California. For the past 17 years, Dr. Milgrom has been on the staff of the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver. He presently holds the appointments of Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Clinical Science at the University of Colorado. He treats both adult and pediatric patients who suffer from allergic disorders, asthma, chronic cough, and vocal cord dysfunction. His research interests are adherence with treatment regimens and the therapy of asthma.

Pharmacist - Dennis Williams, Pharm.D., BCPS, AE- C

Dennis Williams received his pharmacy degrees (BS and Pharm. D) from the University of Kentucky. He is an associate professor in the School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and senior clinical specialist in pulmonary medicine at UNC hospitals. Dr. Williams is board certified in pharmacotherapy practice (BCPS) by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties, and is a certified asthma educator (AE-C). He frequently participates in certificate programs for asthma management for both pharmacists and respiratory therapists. Dr. Williams also participations in the local asthma coalition and sits on the NAEPP coordinating committee of the NHLBI.

Respiratory Therapist - Shawn McCormick, BS, RRT, AE-C

Shawn McCormick is Chairman and CEO of Zoey, LP. She founded the company to develop fun, creative, and educational tools that will help children and their families learn how to gain control over asthma. She previously worked as the Director of Patient Care Services at Santa Rosa Health Care Corporation in San Antonio for nine years managing the adult and pediatric cardiopulmonary services. Concurrently with Zoey L.P., Ms. McCormick is the President and CEO of both Summit DME of San Antonio and Pulmonary Therapies. Summit DME is a home medical equipment company specializing in respiratory therapy equipment and services. Pulmonary Therapies is a respiratory care company specializing in the application of disease management principles. Professional affiliations include: the American Association of Respiratory Care, the Texas Society for Respiratory Care, the Asthma Coalition of Texas and the Association of Asthma Educators. She is also assisting the NAECB with their reimbursement website project.

Health Educator - Guillermo Flores, AE-C, BBA

Guillermo Flores, known as "Asthma Dude" by pediatric asthma patients, has lived in the South Bronx most of his life. Because of his own diagnosis of asthma, he knows the challenges, threats, and fearful episodes brought on by the disease. Bilingual in English and Spanish, he has excelled as an asthma educator bridging the gap of communication between medical providers and patients. Presently, at Urban Health Plan, a community health center comprised of eight clinics throughout the South Bronx, he coordinates the day-to-day functioning of the nationally acclaimed Asthma Management Program serving approximately 3,600 asthma patients to date. His professional and personal goal is to help asthma patients live longer, healthier lives by integrating high quality asthma education into their patient care. He has a Bachelor in Business Administration Summa Cum Laude from Monroe College. He has written Pun's Plan for Asthma, and Asma: Peligro en el Bronx. Professional affiliations include: New York City Asthma Partnership, American College of Healthcare Executives, Health Force at Hunts Point, Association of Asthma Educators, and the American Association for Respiratory Care.

The upcoming NAECB term shows much promise for incoming chair Antoinette Gardner. She shares her thoughts on the challenges of the position:

Q: What thoughts entered your mind as you realized you would have the honor of chairing the NAECB?

A: It really is an overwhelming responsibility. When I was approached to be chair, I knew it was going to be a tremendous amount of work. I felt that it was important to have someone who had history from the beginning. It's necessary to maintain the continuity of the mission and goals of the board. I feel that at this point, we are at a very critical stage in the board's infancy. What I do now, as far as leadership and direction, can make a big difference for the future of this board and of the certification examination. That's why I agreed, with the support and help of the board members, that I would take on this challenge.

Q: You've mentioned that commitment to the board's mission is important for someone taking on this position. Why are you so personally committed?

A: For patients and families. I guess I have seen so many patients and families in my own practice who have come to us with misinformation that they obtained from various sources. These patients and families who have been taught incorrectly have had this teaching negatively affect their lives. Their health has been impacted negatively; and it's also been a detriment to their faith in the medical system. They're thinking, "Why should I listen to you? Because what you're telling me is different from what someone else has told me about this illness or about the disease process." That's a barrier. So, I have to prove that what I'm telling that patient or that family is correct. It could be that they've actually had no education at all. In short, commitment to the certification process can help to better insure that the person who provides asthma education really has the knowledge of the illness and knows how to impart the information to the patient effectively.

Q: What will your greatest challenge be during your term?

A: Right now, the biggest challenge is to see continued improvement in the exam development. We are seeing that right now. We want to maintain a high-quality exam that that public and professionals perceive as important. Achieving accreditation of the exam by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies is a major goal; as well as establishing the National Asthma Educator Foundation.

Q: What do you think earning the AE-C designation adds to a certificate's professional career?

A: Certainly, it adds a sense of personal accomplishment, more credibility as a professional, and from what I've seen it adds recognition of the achievement by colleagues. I'm beginning to see that AE-C® is listed as a suggested prerequisite in job postings and for various grant proposals. So, the certification is becoming more recognized across the nation.

Q: What do you think is the key to gaining more national recognition for AE-C®s?

A: I'd like to see more public and professional awareness that the certification exists. I think increased opportunity for reimbursement for education by an asthma educator will help AE-C® status gain popularity and allow people to see the need for certified asthma educators.

Q: How will the NAECB continue its efforts to maintain the integrity of the examination?

A: We'll do that by expanding on qualified item writers. Some of the item writers are AE-C®s. As chair, I'm very focused on making sure that the board is constantly aware that the exam is ultimately the product that we are displaying. The exam must be the board's focus. The AE-C® name means nothing without a quality exam.

Q: As you enter the position of chairman and look back on the board's progress so far, what board accomplishments fill you with pride?

A: The fact that just four years after the board's inception, we have an exam that is known about nationally and that's accepted by providers in the field of asthma education. I'm also proud that the exam continues to grow and that I was able to watch and be involved in this process from its birth. It's a wonderful sense of amazement and pride.

As asthma educators across the country are trying to maximize their services to optimally treat their patient base, it is imperative that they find the monies to support their programs. Although there is no universal "asthma education" billing code available, there are many avenues to consider in billing for services in your provider specialty. We invite each and every one of you, regardless of whether you are a nurse, doctor, pharmacist, health educator or respiratory therapist, working in a hospital, physician office, durable medical equipment company or rural health care clinic to visit the Reimbursement Section of the NAECB website. It can provide you will invaluable insight into billing possibilities within your provider type. The MCO templates located at the bottom of each state's provider listing can help guide potential reimbursement scenarios for your area of expertise. This tool has become very popular with certificants across the country as evidenced by some of the testimonials we have received:

"I cannot tell you what a difference this has made in reimbursement for patient education, knowing you could charge for education under a physician's supervision. I will continue to visit this site often." - Wisconsin "Use of the Managed Care Template helps my practice understand the codes. We have used the template to renegotiate several contracts in our favor - which means more money for this practice. Thanks!" - North Carolina

What's new with the Coding, Billing & Reimbursement (CBR) section of the NAECB website? We have 30 states completed and "live" on the website! Although the Medicare CBR information is the same for all states in the US, each state Medicaid program may have nuances that differentiate them from others. For example, Texas and Wyoming have Medicaid provider provisions for Respiratory Care Practitioners, but many states do not.

Before 2003, most states had their own local billing codes that were used exclusively for their programs. With HIPAA entering the scene in 2003, the states were forced to move toward standardization of codes in conjunction with "national" or Medicare codes. As a result of this initiative, we are monitoring these changes and getting them in the database as quickly as possible.

We anticipate completion of all 50 states and Washington DC by June of this year. We will then move into phase two of the project - database maintenance. During this period, we will continue to monitor coding changes and update the database on an ongoing basis. We are always looking for participation from anyone interested in this project. If you are interested to work toward completion of your state's information, please email Sabra Caldwell at scaldwell@naecb.org with your contact information.

Submitted by: Shawn McCormick, BS, RRT, AE-C Sabra Caldwell Carlos Camargo, MD, DrPH, AE-C

It has been my privilege to serve as the chairman of the board for the NAECB over the past two years. As I reflect on the many accomplishments of the NAECB, my deepest appreciation goes to the board members, their contributions, and our certificants for their many hours of dedication to our mission.

I would like to share just a few of the highlights:

• Two abstracts were presented at the 2003 National Asthma Conference
• Initial examination statistics were presented at the 2004 CDC Asthma Conference
• The Linda B. Ford Scholarship Program for Asthma Educators was established
• Certificants elected the first group of new directors in 2003
• A strategic plan and vision matrix was completed with goals and action plans for 2004-2006
• A reimbursement website was launched at www.naecb.org
• The admissions committee added two new professions to the eligibility requirements
• The first NAECB newsletter was published
• The marketing committee completed a PSA for release in 2005

The presence and value of the certified asthma educator is continuing to expand. In the fall of 2004, the number of AE-C®s grew to over 1000! Those who struggle with asthma each day and their families will reap the rewards of this milestone. As you read this newsletter, we are in the process of developing a Self-assessment Examination that many of you have requested over the past couple of years. It is amazing what can be accomplished through a shared mission and vision by a group of passionate individuals. I extend my personal thanks to each of you and especially the executive committee who have volunteered countless hours behind the scenes.

Looking forward, two years seems like a long period of time, but as I reflect now on this extraordinary time in my career, it now seems like a "moment in time" that I was privileged to share with so many of you.

If you have visited the website (www.naecb.org) recently, you have probably noticed something different. We've had a makeover! The new web design is now more user friendly for candidates, certificants, and the general public. Here are a few of the highlights to make your next website visit easy and fun.

The first major change is the addition of our tagline "Promoting Excellence in Asthma Education" as part of the masthead. We wanted a simple way to say what the National Asthma Educator Certification Board (NAECB) is all about and this seemed like the perfect way to say what we do.

Just under the logo is a new menu bar that simplifies the navigation process through the website. Click on Reimbursement to see if the state you live or work in has been added to the database. Want to volunteer? Go to the About Us link and click on Committees. Be sure to check out the special Certificants section designed especially for you.

With the number of healthcare professionals getting certified growing, the list of names was too difficult to navigate through. With an exciting new search function the process is not only simplified but interactive. Click on the giant Find A Certificant button from the homepage, or go to Certificants and click on Find Certificant. Either way, you will end up at the searchable database. You can find yourself or someone else either by name or state. Want to see the whole list? Leave all the fields blank and click on search. You will be amazed at the pages of certificants.

If you know someone looking to get certified, send them to the home page. Right from the get go they can get all their questions answered in the new Get Certified section.

There are many more changes on our website so be sure to take a little time to check them all out. If you have any comments on what you like or suggestions about how to improve the content areas, let us know by emailing your thoughts to info@naecb.org or click on Contact Us. We want you to be proud of our website and tell others about it.

The National Asthma Educator Certification Board (NAECB) is engaging asthma patients in their own care through a new campaign aimed at improving asthma education. In a new public service announcement (PSA), the NAECB urges patients to ask for consultation with a certified asthma educator (AE-C®) during their next visit with their doctor. Certified asthma educators (AE-C®) enhance asthma management by promoting excellence in asthma education. The PSA highlights the seriousness of asthma and the opportunities available to asthma patients who demand help from a qualified healthcare professional.

"With the quality of asthma management education ranging from excellent to non-existent across the United States, a gold standard to promote quality asthma management through the certification process is vital," said Antoinette Gardner, RN, BSN, M.Ed., AE-C, NAECB Board Chair.

The public service announcement shows a childcare worker on a playground with children. The worker suffers an asthma attack and later goes to the physician's office and asks if there is a certified asthma educator (AE-C®) on staff. The final scene shows the certified asthma educator (AE-C®) providing care to the childcare worker.

According to the American Lung Association, the prevalence of asthma has increased in the past two decades. With an estimated seven percent (or 20 million people) of the population suffering from asthma, excellent asthma management is essential. The public is also growing increasingly aware of the severity of asthma and the need for effective healthcare.

The PSA encourages patients to seek out certified asthma educators (AE-C®) to receive the quality education they need to properly manage their asthma and improve their quality of life.

Certified asthma educators (AE-C®) are licensed healthcare professionals or individuals with 1,000 hours of asthma education experience who have successfully passed a rigorous examination. For a list of certified asthma educators (AE-C®) by state, visit http://www.naecb.org.

Your newsletter editors are: Tim Op't Holt toptholt@jaguar1.usouthal.edu and Bill Pruitt wpruitt@jaguar1.usouthal.edu, faculty at the University of South Alabama. Send your articles and ideas!

If you want to mail something to us: Cardiorespiratory Care, University of South Alabama, 1504 Springhill Ave., Mobile, Alabama 36604. Phone: (251)434-3405, fax (251) 434-3941. We look forward to hearing from you!