Asthma Mobile Unit
The Lurie Children's Mobile Health Program allows families to receive the same level of multifaceted culturally-informed service from Lurie Children’s physicians and allied health professionals in their neighborhood on a mobile unit, rather than at a brick and mortar facility.
The Asthma Mobile Unit launched in October 2021, after data showed that a specific patient population never followed through with their referrals. This mobile unit was developed to see patients with all severities of asthma. Targeting a specific neighborhood in the Chicagoland area, Dr. Avani V. Shah and Emily R. Simmons, MSN, APRN-NP, PNP, and their multidisciplinary team see the patients once a month on the unit. Meeting patients in their own communities alleviates many concerns and stressors for families. For many of these families, lack of transportation to the main hospital location and the cost involved with fuel, parking and/or public transportation are challenges. Seeing patients in their own communities also puts families at ease. The end goal is to provide families with options leading to improved asthma care for their children.