AllergyHome is excited and proud to introduce Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics and Tonya Winders, their president and CEO. For almost 3 decades this patient advocacy organization has been dedicated to improving the lives of those with allergies, asthma and related conditions. Tonya and AANMAs collaborative, patient oriented, eyes open approach, has and will continue to benefit(ed) our food allergy and anaphylaxis community. Thank you Tonya for joining us!
“Thank you for the opportunity to share more about AANMA and our involvement with the anaphylaxis community.”
Who is AANMA?
Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) is a leading grassroots patient advocacy organization dedicated to ending the needless death and suffering due to allergies, asthma and related conditions. AANMA was founded over 28 years ago by patients for patients. We accomplish our mission in three core focus areas:Outreach
AANMA is a multi-disciplinary network of healthcare professionals and patients who share the same passion. With over 100,000 current members AANMA is recognized as a powerful voice for allergy and asthma patients on Capitol Hill and throughout the United States. We partner with the following organizations to raise awareness and understanding of guideline-based care:
- American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI),
- American College of CHEST Physicians (CHEST),
- American Academy of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology (AAAAI),
- American Thoracic Society (ATS),
- American Academy of Physician Assistants in Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAPA-AAI),
- National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP),
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP),
- American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC),
- Association of Asthma Educators (AAE),
- National Association of School Nurses (NASN),
- National Education Association (NEA),
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC),
- Food & Drug Administration (FDA),
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Education
AANMA has won hundreds of awards for its medically accurate, patient-friendly education materials. We distribute a quarterly magazine Allergy & Asthma Today which is distributed to over 120,000 outlets each quarter with an estimated readership of greater than two million per quarter. We also utilize a multi-channel approach to disseminate educational content via print, online, broadcast email, webinars and social media.
The most recognized anaphylaxis educational program in the United States today is the Anaphylaxis Community Experts (ACE) program developed and hosted by Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics in partnership with the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, sponsored by Mylan Specialty L.P. ACE Teams across the country offer free awareness and training programs about food, latex and venom allergies, signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis, and how to use an epinephrine auto-injector. Volunteers include allergists, school nurses, community members, and parents. To date, the program has trained over one thousand volunteers and those volunteers have conducted over 5000 public awareness and educational activities since 2010. You may visit www.aanma.org/ACE to learn more about the program.
In 2014 we are working with the American Academy of Pediatrics to further develop a network of Allergy, Asthma & Anaphylaxis Champions throughout the country who will also commit to guidelines-based care and community-based awareness and educational activities.
Advocacy
AANMA has hosted the annual Allergy & Asthma Day on Capitol Hill for the past 16 years. We were on the front lines fighting for children’s rights to self-carry life-saving epinephrine and albuterol. It took ten years and a lot of teamwork to pass federal and state legislation to this end. Today, only one state (NY) does not have a self-carry law on the books!
We also fought to protect patients from illegal nebulizer medications for asthma with our CHASM initiative. By removing the reimbursement incentives, compounding pharmacies manufacturing these products were discouraged from the actions harming patients. Furthermore, we worked diligently this year with the Pharmaceutical Safety Working Group to pass The Pharmacy Compounding Safety Act.
AANMA’s advocacy team joined forces with other lay organizations and industry partners over the past two years to ensure access to stock epinephrine in schools in the event of emergency. We are pleased President Obama signed the bill into law on November 13, 2013, encouraging states to pass statutes mandating access to this life-saving medication. Thirty states currently have some form of legislation on the books and we are working to move the remaining twenty states passed. Furthermore, we will continue to strengthen the language in state laws to mandate schools and potentially other public food service venues be required to have stock epinephrine on hand.
Our Work Will Continue
As we quickly approach three decades of service, we are proud of the impact we have had on millions of Americans with allergies, asthma and related conditions. We will continue our work to end the needless death and suffering due to these conditions and help everyone breathe better together!
Tonya Winders. MBA is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics, the leading patient advocacy organization dedicated to ending the needless death and suffering due to asthma, allergies and related conditions.
Tonya has over 16 years experience in leadership roles within the allergy and asthma industry. From sales and marketing leadership to managed markets access, she has worked tirelessly to ensure patients have access to effective diagnostic and treatment tools.
Tonya joined AANMA in 2013 as the successor to founder Nancy Sander who led for 28 years. Tonya has worked closely with the leadership of the ACAAI & AAAAI to address challenges currently facing the integrity of allergy and asthma care throughout the US while spreading awareness and preparedness messages to patients and caregivers.
Personally, Tonya is the mother of five children, four of whom have asthma and/or allergies, ranging in age from 9-15 years old. She enjoys spending time with her husband of 18 years Brian Winders and coaching cheerleading.
