Certified Asthma Educator The Center for Pediatric Pulmonary Disease & Allergy (PPD&A) is seeking a Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C) to provide comprehensive, home-based asthma education and self-management support to pediatric patients and their families following emergency department (ED) visits for asthma at St. Louis Children's Hospital (SLCH). This position is open to any healthcare professional eligible for AE-C certification under NBRC requirements. St. Louis continues to experience asthma rates nearly three times the national average, with significantly higher ED visits and hospitalizations. In 2024, SLCH recorded over 2,100 asthma-related ED visits, underscoring the urgent need for improved asthma education and post-discharge support. Many caregivers struggle to manage complex asthma regimens at home, which often leads to repeat ED visits and hospital admissions. To address this need, the Center is launching a new home-based asthma education program focused on bringing education directly into the home, ensuring that children and caregivers have the tools, understanding, and confidence to manage asthma effectively. The Asthma Educator will play a key role in this pilot initiative, collaborating with a small, dedicated team to develop and refine program processes during its early implementation phase. The educator's primary responsibilities include conducting home visits—typically within four to seven days of a child's ED discharge —to review discharge instructions, demonstrate proper medication and inhaler use, and provide education on environmental trigger management and symptom control. The Asthma Educator will document all activities in the electronic health record, support accurate billing and contribute to program evaluation and quality improvement initiatives that promote long-term sustainability and improved patient outcomes. We serve families in St. Louis communities that are predominantly African American. We are seeking candidates who have strong cultural competency and experience working effectively with these communities, and who can build trust and rapport with the families we serve. This position requires early evening and some weekend hours to accommodate family schedules.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
Home-Based Asthma Education:
Contacts discharged families in a timely manner defined by the program, to schedule home education visit.
Delivers individualized asthma education in the home (and potential telehealth visits) for pediatric patients and families.
Teaches asthma management, medication use, inhaler and spacer technique, and environmental control strategies.
Reinforces personalized asthma action plans using demonstrations and teach-back methods.
Builds family confidence in daily asthma management and response to symptoms or exacerbations.
Program Coordination and Documentation:
Documents all education sessions, assessments, and care plans in EPIC and program tracking systems.
Coordinates with primary care providers, pulmonologists, and other healthcare team members to ensure seamless care.
Manages scheduling and ensures timely completion of education visits and follow-up activities.
Maintains current knowledge of national asthma management guidelines and best practices.
Data Tracking and Program Evaluation:
Collects and analyzes program metrics, including visit completion rates, patient outcomes, and follow-up utilization.
Monitors improvements in family self-management skills, reductions in emergency visits, and patient satisfaction.
Assists in preparing reports to support quality improvement, outcome tracking, and program evaluation.
Billing, Coding, and Quality Tracking:
Supports accurate billing and reimbursements for home (and telehealth) asthma education and environmental assessments.
Utilizes EPIC documentation templates to ensure precise coding and quality data tracking.
Collaborates with BJC Healthcare to implement and monitor billing workflows.
Contributes to program sustainability through evaluation of reimbursement outcomes and scalability.
Collaboration and Continuous Improvement:
Partners with clinical, administrative, and community teams to strengthen program delivery and engagement.
Participates in staff meetings, professional development, and training sessions to enhance skills and effectiveness.
Contributes to the development of educational materials, workflows, and best practices that improve program impact.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Working Conditions:
Normal office environment.
Patient care setting.
Typically sitting at desk or table.
Typically bending, crouching, stooping.
Typically standing or walking.
Repetitive wrist, hand or finger movement.
Occasional lifting (
