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Site Selection Tips
Potential Sites
Here are some locations to consider when selecting a screening site.
Shopping Malls. The majority of the screening programs are held in enclosed shopping malls. The ready-made audience of steady shoppers representing a cross-section of the community can help ensure good attendance.
Health Fairs. Local communities and area hospitals often hold annual health fairs that can be a perfect venue for an asthma screening program. Check with the coordinators of these events to determine estimated attendance and planned programs and activities since you’ll be competing for attention.
Grocery/Discount/Retail Stores. Like shopping malls, grocery stores and large discount and retail stores offer a ready-made audience of shoppers that can help ensure program attendance. The key to success at these outlets is advance publicity, finding a high-traffic location within the store and providing signage that directs shoppers to you. If you are working with a store that is part of a regional chain, you can publicize the screening by displaying posters and distributing flyers with each of the chain’s locations in your area. Several screening program coordinators have partnered with regional grocery and drug store chains to conduct simultaneous screenings at several different locations.
Sporting Complexes/Events. Local community sporting events, such as a marathon or tournament, can provide big crowds and a good opportunity to screen for exercise-induced asthma. If the event is outdoors, make sure you have a source of electricity and be prepared for the possibility of bad weather.
Inner-City. Inner-city locations, such as community centers, housing developments and health centers, can help reach urban minorities who are at greater risk for having asthma and are more likely to not have the disease under control.
Festivals/Fairs. Some coordinators have had successful screenings during festivals and county fairs. Again, advance preparation is important since many of these events are outdoors.
Cultural, Ethnic and Affinity Groups. Some coordinators have conducted screenings that targeted specific groups of people. For example, screenings have been held in Chinese- and Polish-ancestry communities, at Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian and Greek Orthodox churches, at synagogues and mosques, at a local union headquarters and in a retirement community. Other potential groups you can target are fraternal organizations such as the Lions, Elks and Kiwanis, women’s and senior citizen organizations and community service groups. Since these targeted screenings are not always open to the general public, advance publicity within the organization is very important. Evaluate the opportunities for flyer distribution, newsletter article placement and poster displays when considering specific groups.
Workplace Screenings. From automotive plants to local banks, more screening program coordinators are bringing asthma screenings into the workplace, either in conjunction with an existing health and wellness fair or as a separate event. If you are interested in conducting this type of screening, you can approach employers in your community to determine their interest in an asthma screening. Your local Chamber of Commerce will have a list of the area employers you may want to approach with the concept of a workplace asthma screening. In discussing an asthma screening with a company representative (usually someone from human resources or public relations), you should emphasize how the proper diagnosis and treatment of asthma lowers the cost for physician visits, hospitalization, and emergency room visits and improves worker productivity. If the employer agrees to conduct a workplace asthma screening, discuss potential vehicles within the company for advance publicity. Additional information on conducting workplace screenings is included in the screening program manual.
State Capital Screenings. Several coordinators have selected state capitals as sites for their screening, not only to find those at risk for asthma, but also to raise awareness among legislators. If you are considering this type of screening, you may want to partner with your local chapter of the American Lung Association. ALA chapters are often very involved with legislative activities and can be a valuable resource in coordinating an event. If you don’t already have a state government contact at your state capital, call the general number at the capital and ask to speak with someone in special events. This person will likely serve as your contact and will help with invitations, obtaining a gubernatorial proclamation and equipment or space needs. Additional information on conducting a state capital screening is included in the screening program manual.
Children’s Locations. Most screening programs for the general public will attract children and their parents, but screenings also can be held at locations that are particularly child-friendly. Some possibilities are:
- Activity centers
- Amusement parks
- Libraries
- Museums
- Park district facilities
- Schools
- Sporting events (football games, soccer tournaments, Little League, etc.)
- Summer camps
- Toy stores
- YMCAs
- Zoos
You also can contact local community organizations tailored for children, such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, to determine opportunities for scheduling a screening program. |