DALLAS, May 19, 2026 — Children’s Health has been recognized as one of only 11 pediatric organizations in the United States to earn The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification for asthma, reinforcing the organization’s leadership in pediatric chronic disease management and coordinated care. Children’s Health is also the only metropolitan health system in Texas to hold this distinction.
The certification recognizes the Children’s Health Asthma Management Program (AMP), a nationally recognized program designed to support children with asthma beyond traditional clinical settings. Unlike episodic asthma care models, AMP connects care across the home, school and community to help improve long-term outcomes for children and families.
“Children achieve better asthma outcomes when care extends beyond the walls of a hospital or clinic,” said Folashade Afolabi, M.D., Medical Director of the Asthma Management Program at Children’s Health and Associate Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center. “Our program connects clinical care with support in the home, school and community to help families better manage asthma and reduce unnecessary emergency visits and hospitalizations. Earning this certification from The Joint Commission reflects the impact of that work.”
The Children’s Health team of Certified Asthma Educators works closely with families to support long-term asthma management and ongoing care coordination. Children’s Health has also developed a proprietary Asthma App that allows families to track symptoms and triggers in real time while enabling care teams to proactively monitor trends and adjust treatment plans as needed.
In partnership with the Dallas Independent School District, Children’s Health is piloting school-based telemedicine programs designed to expand access to asthma care and support children where they spend much of their time.
Over the past two years, AMP has outperformed the national median of Top 10 pediatric organizations across multiple asthma care and outcomes measures. The care model has also contributed to a 69.5% decrease in emergency department visits and a 69.4% decrease in inpatient admissions, helping more children achieve symptom-free sleep, learning and play through proactive care and support across the home, school and community.
To find out more about the Children’s Health Asthma Management Program, visit the link here.
About Children’s Health
Children’s Health is the leading pediatric health care system in North Texas and has long been recognized as a leader in pediatric health. Its campuses include Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Children’s Medical Center Plano and multiple Children’s Health Specialty Centers, caring for more than 370,000 patients each year.
In partnership with UT Southwestern Medical Center, it is consistently recognized among the nation’s best pediatric hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. This commitment to excellence and outstanding care has resulted in recognition across all pediatric specialties for eight consecutive years, including Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Behavioral Health, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Neonatology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology, and Urology.
Since 2009, Children’s Health has maintained Magnet® designation – the highest honor for nursing excellence – and continues to earn employer-of-choice recognition locally, nationally and globally. These honors include the Great Place to Work® Certification™, the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award and Top Workplaces recognition from USA TODAY and The Dallas Morning News. Children’s Health has also been named one of the 150 Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Becker’s Hospital Review for 14 consecutive years.
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