January 2013 Minnesota Issue:

1. Announcements
2. Programs
3. Report
4. Events
5. News
6. Resources
7. Take Action

 Announcements

Scope of COPD in Minnesota
The new Scope of COPD in Minnesota will be released next week. Look for the release in your inbox and on social media. "Like" the American Lung Association in Minnesota and follow and share key findings on the state of COPD in Minnesota.

Programs

Webinar: Oxygen Therapy
Thursday, February 14, 2013
7:30 - 9:00 a.m. 
This quarter's COPD Discussion Group will be on Oxygen Therapy. Robert McCoy, RRT, FAARC, Managing Director of Valley Inspired Products, Inc will be presenting on assessing the need for oxygen, need of oxygen during movement, prescribing oxygen for saturation and delivery devices. REGISTER

Spirometry Webinar: Coaching a Good Spirometry
Thursday, February 28, 2013
12:10 – 12:55 p.m.
Please join us for our quarterly spirometry webinar hosted by the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest. Ed Corzalla, Director of the Pulmonary Function Lab at the University of Minnesota will be presenting on Coaching a Good Spirometry. This webinar will walk through the dos and dont's of coaching a good spirometry. REGISTER

Implementation and Interpretation of Spirometry
Thursday, April 25, 2013
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
American Lung Association in Minnesota
490 Concordia Ave St. Paul, MN 55103
This full-day training is split into two sessions – implementation of spirometry in the morning and interpretation of spirometry in the afternoon. MORE INFORMATION & REGISTER

RARE Webinar: Role of Community Health Workers in Preventing Avoidable Readmissions
February 26, 2013
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
This RARE webinar will provide an overview of the community health worker work force, including Minnesota's community health worker scope of practice and certificate program. Participants will learn how hospitals can integrate community health worker strategies to help prevent avoidable hospital readmissions and meet the Triple Aim. DETAILS & REGISTRATION 

Report

State of Tobacco Control 2013 Report
Reveals tragic money trail leading to tobacco-caused death and disease

Follow the trail of money misused by policymakers and strategically invested by Big Tobacco. The American Lung Association’s “State of Tobacco Control 2013” report released this week reveals how the leading cause of preventable death is often entangled in a financial web of neglect and deceit.  

The Lung Association’s “State of Tobacco Control” report tracks annual progress on key tobacco control policies at the federal and state level, assigning grades based on whether laws are adequately protecting citizens from the enormous toll tobacco use takes on lives and the economy.

Help spread the word about tobacco control - share this infographic on Facebook. Click here and find the infographic in our newsfeed then click share.

Events 

Fight For Air Day at the Waterpark of America
Sunday, February 3, 2013
4:00 - 8:00 p.m.
1700 American Blvd. East Bloomington, MN 55425
Join us for a splish-splashin' good time for the whole family.
TICKETS ONLY $10. Register Here!

Fight For Air Climb
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Accenture Tower, Minneapolis, MN
Step up to the Challenge!  Join the Fight for Air Stair Climb and climb once or join the Ultimate Challenge!  Firefighters climb in full gear in the Firefighter Challenge. Five ways to participate:

• VIRTUAL CLIMBER
• CREATE A TEAM
• JOIN A TEAM
• CLIMB AS AN INDIVIDUAL
• VOLUNTEER

News

'Lung Flute' Improves Breathing for COPD Patients
Some people with COPD have excess mucus in their lungs. When patients blow into the "Lung Flute," sound waves are sent down the airways, mobilizing that mucus. Studies show using it twice a day improves lung congestion and other COPD symptoms. READ MORE

Bacterial Infections Pose Greater Risk for COPD Patients
A hypothesis in a thesis from Lund University demonstrates a higher risk for bacterial infections, such as tuberculosis, for COPD patients. The researcher explains that a lot of focus has been on respiratory infections for COPD patients, but infections in other organs need to be studied in greater extent. READ MORE

A Challenge to the Seven Widely Believed Concepts of COPD
A review recently published in the International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease challenges seven concepts believed in understanding COPD. The author recognizes the use of combined medication used in asthma that is also used as a treatment for COPD, despite the absence of any agreement on how to define the overlap between asthma and COPD. READ MORE

Resources

State of the Air App
Fight for Air from your phone - Protect your health and download the American Lung Association’s State of the Air® app. Get life-saving updates on your local air quality and learn how you can help fight for air. MORE INFORMATION

Take Action

Tell Congress: Help Us Breathe a Little Easier
Help us start off the year right by urging lawmakers in Washington to stand up for lung health. Lung disease is the third leading cause of death in the United States. 

Congress needs to be reminded that investing in lung health saves lives. Supporting lung health programs would dramatically improve the air we breathe, prevent lung disease, and help find cures and treatments for people with asthma, COPD, lung cancer, and other lung diseases.

Send a message to your elected officials in Washington to ask them to "say yes" to lung health programs.