FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 30 2025

EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western presents BJ Biskupiak of DPHHS with the 2025 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management At left, EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western presents BJ Biskupiak of DPHHS with the 2025 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management. Pictured below is the Montana Asthma Control Program team.
The Montana Asthma Control Program team members

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: June 30, 2025
Contact: Jon Ebelt, Communications Director, DPHHS, (406) 444-0936, (406) 461-3757
                jebelt@mt.gov

Montana Asthma Control Program Earns Prestigious EPA National Environmental Leadership Award

The Montana Asthma Control Program (MACP) has been honored with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA’s) 2025 National Environmental Leadership Award in Asthma Management.

This national recognition celebrates MACP's exceptional, whole-community approach to coordinating public health, housing, environment, clinical care, and community partners to deliver comprehensive asthma care and improve Montanans' health outcomes.

"We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition,” said BJ Biskupiak, DPHHS MACP Manager. "This award truly reflects our deep commitment to improving the quality of life for Montanans with asthma through innovative programs, strong community partnerships, and a relentless focus on long-term health. We're proud to serve Montanans and remain dedicated to helping them live healthier lives."

Approximately 100,000 state residents live with asthma. This chronic inflammatory disease can significantly impact daily life due to wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness. MACP has led the charge for effective asthma management and mitigating indoor environmental triggers for 18 years.

MACP's success is rooted in its comprehensive, coordinated approach, which maximizes resources to significantly improve asthma health outcomes. This approach includes:

  • Developing standards and policies to enhance access to asthma control services.
  • Increasing public awareness of asthma triggers, self-management techniques, and available resources.
  • Collaborating with health care providers to optimize the delivery and utilization of clinical services.
  • Educating health care providers on guidelines-based asthma management, the impact of indoor environmental factors, and strategies for linking clinical and community resources.

The Montana Asthma Home Visiting Program (MAP) is one of MACP’s cornerstone initiatives. Through this free service, individuals with uncontrolled asthma and their families can meet with trained health care professionals to gain the critical knowledge and practical tools needed to take charge of their health and self-manage their chronic condition.

The MAP has yielded remarkable results, demonstrating significant improvements in health outcomes and cost savings, particularly among high-utilizers of health care.

Some examples include:

  • An 80% reduction in urgent care and emergency department visits for 817 children (between 2011–2025) and 108 adults (between 2020–2025) who completed the program.
  • A 66% reduction in workdays missed and a 53% reduction in school days missed due to asthma among participants completing the program.

MACP offers a range of other programs designed to support health care providers, caregivers, public health partners, and the general public as they work to improve asthma care and education across the state.

To learn more about MACP's valuable resources and how the program can help, please visit the Montana Asthma Control Program.