Jump to full article: New York Times, 2008-02-24
Author: LINDA SASLOW
Intro: GWENDOLYN STRETCH, the medical director at the Elsie Owens North Brookhaven Health Center, in Coram, had a lot to do during the 20-minute appointment with her next patient. . . . Atop the doctor's priority list was to encourage her patient to stop smoking.
"She really wants to get me to quit," said Ms. McPherson, who goes to the Suffolk County clinic every six weeks. "I'm going to try -- eventually."
Every week, Dr. Stretch meets with about 50 asthma patients as part of a new asthma initiative begun by the county's fledgling Division of Preventive Medicine.
"By educating our health care providers and our patients, we're trying to change the way we treat asthma," she said.
The asthma initiative is a pilot project for the Division of Preventive Medicine, created last month within the Department of Health Services. . . .
The asthma initiative is a partnership between the county and the Asthma Coalition of Long Island. It is financed partly by the New York State Department of Health
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