About ARC

Our mission:

To reduce the impact of asthma across New England, through collaborations of health, housing, education, and environmental organizations with particular focus on the contribution of schools, homes, and communities to the disease and with attention to its disproportionate impact on populations at greatest risk.

Our membership:

ARC is a coalition of nearly 75 public agencies, private organizations and researchers across New England working to tackle environmental and clinical aspects of pediatric and adult asthma. ARC's members bring the diverse perspectives and resources of health, housing, education, environment, managed care and advocacy organization together to focus on asthma. Leaders with knowledge, resources and determination have joined forces to identify and implement solutions to improve the lives of those with asthma. ARC is a program of Health Resources in Action.

Our history:

ARC was launched in 2000 as the result of a summit - hosted by Region I (New England) offices of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - that called for a multi-disciplinary cross-sector effort to eliminate environmental triggers of asthma. ARC has an environmental justice focus in that it recognizes, as part of its core mission, the need to address the disproportionate environmental and health burdens experienced by low income and racial minority communities.

Our work:

In working to achieve our mission, ARC's work is diverse and multifaceted. For example, we promote specific policy targets and best practices by engaging in research, producing white papers, sponsoring symposia, and disseminating information. ARC also provides technical assistance, strategic planning, and training to governmental and non-governmental partners.  ARC's Healthy Homes Promotion Project is advancing an integrated and broad-based healthy homes agenda in the region.

ARC's work is guided by our strategic plan, the New England Asthma Action Plan. This plan was updated in 2007 to reflect emerging needs, opportunities, and research.  Click here to see the plan in its entirety.

In this updated strategic plan, we have prioritized four action areas to guide the work of ARC and its collaborators:

1. Promote Best Practices and Policies which Foster Excellence in Environmental and Clinical Asthma Management
2. Promote an Integrated and Broad-based Healthy Homes Agenda
3. Increase Access to, as well as Analysis and Application of, High-quality Health Data
4. Support Improvement of Indoor and Ambient Air Quality

ARC is a program of Health Resources in Action