City of Hartford

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT

Office of the Director

2 Holcomb Street Hartford, Connecticut 06112

Telephone (860) 543-8860 / Fax (860) 722-6851

E-mail: CMSanchez@ci.hartford.ct.us, or Rrojano@ci.hartford.ct.us

Hon. Eddie Perez, Mayor

Ramon Rojano, Director

Hartford residents can ask questions about asthma during

ASTHMA AWARENESS MONTH

---MEDIA ADVISORY---

May is asthma awareness month. The City of Hartford Asthma Call to Action Task Force (ACTA), in partnership with the Hartford Public Access Television, Channel 21, presents a live call in program on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 from 6 to 7:00 PM to allow Hartford residents to ask any questions they have about asthma.

A panel of experts will be available to answer those questions. The panel includes Angie Testa, Director, School and Community Asthma Programs with the American Lung Association of CT, Gloria Jones, Nurse Educator with the CT Children's Medical Center Asthma Center and Easy Breathing Program and Dr. Mark Mitchell, President of the CT Coalition for Environmental Justice.

Mayor Eddie A. Perez says, “Hartford still has a very high asthma rate. By educating ourselves more about prevention and treatment, we will be making an investment in our children and in Hartford’s future.”

ACTA urges public officials, health care organizations and patient groups to increase public awareness about asthma, encourage efforts to improve care and continue to meet the needs of those who suffer from this chronic respiratory disease.

For further information about this broadcast, please contact Rita Kornblum at (860) 547-1426 ext: 7188

To find out more information about asthma, please go to www.healthyhartford.org call 2-1-1 Infoline or 1-800-LUNG-USA.