Healthy Hoops Battles Asthma

In an effort to improve asthma management and reduce childhood obesity, AmeriHealth Caritas Partnership, in collaboration with Keystone First, a Blue Cross Medical Assistance (Medicaid) product and the largest Medical Assistance product in Southeastern Pennsylvania, is once again bringing its award-winning Healthy Hoops® program to the Philadelphia area.

Held at The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Center, 4200 Wissahickon Avenue, the annual event drew a record crowd.

According to a study published in the Journal of Asthma in 2012, more than 26% of Philadelphia children were found to have asthma, nearly three times the national average. Healthy Hoops aims to help children and their families learn how to better control their asthma and otherwise adopt healthy lifestyles.

It included hands-on asthma education, health screenings and basketball clinics led by Philadelphia basketball legends Sonny Hill and Speedy Morris, along with plenty of other fun activities.