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# of Schools 250
# of Kids Served 105000
Project Start 2017

Funders:

CVS Health Foundation & St. David’s Foundation


Project Summary

CATCH My Breath was created in 2016 at The University of Texas School of Public Health (UTHealth) in Austin. Dr. Steven H. Kelder developed the curriculum as a response to the 900% spike in youth e-cigarette use from 2011-2015. The pilot program, funded by St. David’s Foundation ran in 19 middle schools in Central Texas, as well as in several other key states. The results of this pilot study have been submitted to a peer-reviewed journal and are awaiting publication. St. David’s Foundation has continued to support the program in 2019.
In addition to working in a school setting, CATCH My Breath formed partnerships with other tobacco research and prevention entities including, but not limited to MD Anderson, Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), and TAHPERD. The program also gained traction during the annual Eliminate Tobacco Summit hosted by The University of Texas and was recognized by Dr. Brian King of the CDC as a primer prevention program during the 2019 event.
CATCH My Breath will continue to gain notoriety in Central Texas as research partner and program creator, UTHealth, recently won a five-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to conduct a randomized controlled trial of the program. The grant terms begin in 2019 and will focus on following a cohort of middle school students from grades 6 to 8. Dr. Steven Kelder will be the principal investigator on the project and will work closely with CATCH Global Foundation to innovate and disseminate the curriculum.

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Outcomes

Since its creation, CATCH My Breath has reached more than 105,000 students and 250 schools in Texas over the course of the last two school years. At the start of the 2019-2020 school year, CATCH My Breath has reached five of the top eight districts in Texas including but not limited to Frisco ISD, Katy ISD, and Austin ISD.
With support from Texas ambassador Emily Hayes and community organizations like Say What!, Behavioral Solutions of South Texas, and Texas DSHS the program will continue to grow and meet the demand for youth e-cigarette prevention education and community presentations.
Educators and students across the state have given feedback regarding the program:
The CATCH My Breath program offers a wealth of needed information to youth about the dangers of e-cigarettes. Here in Williamson County, we have seen a rapid uptake of e-cigarette usage by youth. One of the great things about the program is that all the materials are provided, which makes the lessons are easy and enjoyable to deliver. All of my students were very interested in the subject matter, had lots of insightful questions, and enjoyed participating in the CATCH My Breath lessons and activities.
-Emily Hayes, M.ED., CHES, Williamson County and Cities Health District




Testimonials

Here in Williamson County, we have seen a rapid uptake of e-cigarette usage by youth. One of the great things about the program is that all the materials are provided, which makes the lessons are easy and enjoyable to deliver. All of my students were very interested in the subject matter, had lots of insightful questions, and enjoyed participating in the CATCH My Breath lessons and activities.

- Emily Hayes, M.ED., CHES, Williamson County and Cities Health District

Teachers, educators, counselors from each school can definitely talk to their students and help their students understand the dangers of e-cigarette usage through the Catch My Breath Program. We can tailor fit the Catch My Breath curriculum and also do an assessment for students.

- Amanda Kennedy, Wichita County Health Department

I think it’s something all health teachers and all teachers need to be familiar with, especially administrators. If we can reach one student and change that student’s mind, I think we’ve done our job.

- Thomasina Gatson, Ninth Grade Health and P.E. Teacher in San Marcos
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Funders


CVS Health

CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its 9,700 retail locations, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 90 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, expanding specialty pharmacy services, and a leading stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, the company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs.

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St. David's

With more than 119 sites across Central Texas, St. David’s HealthCare includes seven of the area’s leading hospitals and is one of the largest health systems in Texas. The organization has been recognized with a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award — the nation’s highest presidential honor for performance excellence. St. David’s HealthCare is the third-largest private employer in the Austin area, with more than 10,200 employees. St. David’s HealthCare is a unique partnership between a hospital management company and two local non-profits — St. David’s Foundation and Georgetown Health Foundation. The proceeds from the operations of the hospitals fund the foundations, which, in turn, invest those dollars back into the community. Since the inception of St. David’s HealthCare in 1996, more than $425 million has been given back to the community to improve the health and healthcare of Central Texans.

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