Lung Health is a Top Concern for Easton Families

Lung health and respiratory disease are top of mind for the workforce in the ABE region. As our team drove through Easton, we saw signs in front yards like this:

This image captures a community’s growing alarm over a proposed development and its impact on air quality. Residents there and throughout the region already face significant health risks: according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, toxic air releases within a mile of the site rank in the 86th percentile nationwide, diesel particulate matter in the 75th percentile, and asthma prevalence in the 78th percentile. Air quality directly impacts respiratory health, causing increases in illness, missed workdays and cost.

Easton is not alone: The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) produces a flagship report every year. AAFA’s 2025 Asthma Capitals report underscores that Allentown ranks #3 among the most challenging cities in the U.S. for people with asthma, reinforcing the urgency for the entire ABE region.

Community concern is strong and as employers it’s important to keep your pulse on this issue. The Easton Environmental Advisory Board, together with LVBCH member organizations like the City of Easton, Lafayette College, and the Easton Area School District, have all highlighted air pollution as a critical issue.

What does this mean for you?
•Employers in the region should recognize the workforce implications and the underlying concerns about lung health
•This is an opportunity to poll your employees and understand their concerns around lung health.
•The scientific data is clear: poor air quality translates into higher rates of asthma and allergy flare-ups, more emergency visits, and avoidable costs in your health plans. It also means reduced productivity, increased absenteeism, and a heavier burden on employees already managing chronic conditions, as well as their families.

The good news for LVBCH members:

LVBCH has already partnered with a company that can help – Health Care Originals is the exclusive virtual respiratory care supplier for LVBCH.

At Health Care Originals (HCO), we are already working with the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) to address similar challenges in Dallas/Fort Worth. The leading advocate for people with asthma in the nation chose to work with HCO, and you also have that opportunity.

HCO provides a whole health solution that includes a unique wearable technology proven to be predictive of utilization, personal respiratory therapists and coaches to empower individuals to better manage their condition, reduce symptom flare-ups, and avoid costly emergency care. Unlike most chronic disease programs that take years to show results, Nightingale delivers measurable benefits for both employees and employers within months.

As the ABE region faces heightened environmental pressures, employers have an opportunity to step forward as community health leaders. By integrating proactive respiratory care into your 2026 benefits strategy, you protect your workforce, reduce costs, and strengthen your organization’s role as a partner in community well-being.

No employer is too small – HCO works with all sizes of employers.

To calculate your specific ROI, learn more about lung health, help with polling your employees or to start your HCO respiratory care program, contact:

Doug Roy at (585) 732-0586 or doug.roy@healthcareoroiginals.com.