August 24, 2007

Contact:
- Andrew Weisser, 818.703.6444, aweisser@alac.org
or your local American Lung Association at 800.LUNG.USA, www.californialung.org

American Lung Association of California Awards Lung Health Leaders

--San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts Receives President’s Award Other Recipients from San Diego, Hillsborough, and Los Angeles

August 24, 2007 (Oakland, CA) The American Lung Association of California honored leaders in the fight against lung disease at its annual awards ceremony today, which was held in San Francisco. The award recipients were: San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts, who received the President’s Award; Andrew Ries, MD, MPH, medical director for the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at the University of California, San Diego; scientists from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California who are conducting the groundbreaking Children’s Health Study; and Anne Kennedy, RRT, who has been helping lung disease patients live more quality lives for more than 30 years. Every year the association awards those who have made a significant contribution to its mission to prevent lung disease and promote lung health.

The President’s Award is presented to a government official who has made an outstanding effort toward the attainment of the American Lung Association’s mission. Supervisor Roberts is a longtime friend of the American Lung Association of California who has worked on behalf of important clean air and tobacco-free policies to protect lung health. He helped chart the course for tobacco control in San Diego and has been a leading advocate for clean air, both in San Diego and statewide.

As a member of the California Air Resources Board, he has been an advocate for strong new clean air policies, which now include control of secondhand smoke. The air board is setting the national pace for solving the problems of air pollution and global warming, thanks in large measure to Supervisor Roberts.

At the May 25 air board hearing in Del Mar (his home turf in San Diego County), more than 300 community members showed up, many of them from the construction industry, to raise objections to a planned rule that would require retrofits to clean up off-road diesel equipment. After hearing many of his constituents complain about the proposed regulation’s cost, Supervisor Roberts took out his asthma inhaler and admonished industry representatives to be realistic and recognize that they must play a role in solving the state’s air pollution problems.
He continues to use his discretionary fund as a San Diego County Supervisor to underwrite the popular lawnmower trade program, where owners of smog-spewing gas-powered mowers can trade in their polluting equipment for a heavily discounted new electric mower. Since its inception in 2000, more than 3,500 gas mowers have been replaced.

He has also helped to reduce the health impact caused by tobacco. In his service as a member of the Metropolitan Transit Board of Directors, Supervisor Roberts supported the proposal to make all transit stops and facilities smoke-free – a provision adopted in February 2006 and now being implemented. In 2001, he spearheaded a campaign to divest the county’s employee pension fund of tobacco industry holdings.

Scientists conducting the Children’s Health Study were honored with the Clean Air Award for proving that air pollution causes irreversible damage to lung function, providing the evidence needed to secure legislation to protect public health and improve air quality.

“When we started the study, I had no idea what we would find,” said John Peters, MD, founder and director of the Children’s Health Study and Hastings professor of Preventive Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine. “If I had to guess, I would have thought the permanent effect on human health would not be that significant. What we have found is that it is very significant.”

The scientists followed nearly 6,000 children in Southern California for more than a decade to determine the long-term impact of air pollution on their respiratory health. What they found is ozone – the main ingredient in smog – can actually cause asthma in otherwise healthy children and that children living in communities with high levels of air pollution are more likely to have reduced lung function and miss more days of school for respiratory ailments.

They also found that children who live within 500 feet of a freeway are more likely to have reduced lung function than children living further away, even in communities where overall pollution levels are low. Findings like these are helping to shape public policy around regional transportation planning, including reducing port pollution and locating new schools away from freeways and busy roads.
“I’ve been involved in many worthwhile projects over the years, but this set of studies is what I’m most proud of,” Dr. Peters said.

The Michael Stulbarg Memorial California Medal was awarded to Dr. Ries for his meritorious contribution to the understanding and treatment of lung disease. Growing up in Philadelphia, he was an avid sports fan who learned to appreciate rooting for the underdog. So when he started his career in pulmonary medicine 30 years ago, he was naturally drawn to patients with chronic lung diseases. At that time, there was a prevailing attitude that nothing could be done for those with advanced lung disease. Healthcare providers and funders were skeptical about the benefits of rehabilitation.

But after watching lung disease patients improve through rehabilitation, Dr. Ries set out on a scientific journey that would firmly establish pulmonary rehabilitation as a reliable therapy and standard of care for those with chronic lung diseases.

“Patients who get involved in pulmonary rehabilitation are inspiring,” Dr. Ries said. “I have learned from some remarkable people struggling to deal with this chronic illness, struggling for each breath. They have shown me the dignity of human suffering and helped me learn to appreciate the importance of life and the value of health.”

He has devoted his entire career to the treatment of patients with chronic lung disease and has helped to create one of the world’s best pulmonary rehabilitation programs at the University of California, San Diego, where he has been Medical Director for the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program since 1979. He is also Associate Dean and Professor of Medicine at the university’s School of Medicine.

By the mid-1990s, his studies had clearly documented significant and meaningful improvements after pulmonary rehabilitation. Dr. Ries has contributed to more than 160 scientific articles and publications on the diagnosis and treatment of chronic lung disease and has received a number of honors throughout his distinguished career.

Kennedy was awarded with the Pottenger Crystal for her outstanding volunteer service. She became a respiratory therapist 30 years ago because she needed a skill, but when she realized how much her patients needed her, the job quickly turned into a passion.

“It’s so deeply gratifying when you can give hope to someone who is struggling to breathe,” she said. “The people I work with need me and I need to be helping them.”

Kennedy has dedicated her career to teaching people with lung disease how to better manage their symptoms so they can live more quality lives. She has worked in a variety of areas, including home care; pulmonary research at the University of California, San Francisco; and inpatient respiratory therapy.

She joined the American Lung Association nearly three decades ago when someone asked her to teach a Better Breathers class. She has been a staunch supporter and significant contributor to the organization ever since, often putting in as many as 30 hours a week on association projects. She has volunteered her time at all levels, facilitating programs, serving on committees, and leading the American Lung Association of California as Board Chair.

As a member of the American Lung Association of California Executive Committee, Kennedy suggested a structure for asthma educators that evolved into the National Asthma Educator Certification Board, a voluntary testing program used to assess qualified professionals’ knowledge in asthma education.

“Helping people is my life,” Kennedy said. “There is no line between my professional, personal and volunteer life.”

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About the American Lung Association
Beginning our second century, the American Lung Association is the leading organization working to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. Lung disease death rates continue to increase while other leading causes of death have declined. The American Lung Association funds vital research on the causes of and treatments for lung disease. With the generous support of the public, the American Lung Association is “Improving life, one breath at a time.” For more information about the American Lung Association or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNG-USA (1-800-586-4872) or log on to www.lungusa.org.