Once we receive the referral from your doctor, our clinic will contact you for an appointment. The Asthma Clinic is on Thursdays and Fridays and the Severe Asthma Clinic is on Friday mornings.

Your first visit will be 1.5 to 2 hours long (longer if lung function testing is done) as you will be meeting with a practitioner and an asthma educator. Allergy testing for environmental allergens may also be done at this visit if needed. We suggest you allow for at least two hours for parking.

Follow up visits will be 1 hour long and will typically include lung function testing if your child is over 6 years of age.

Location

Appointments in the Asthma Program take place in the main Children's Hospital building in the Respirology Clinic area.

Your visit to the Asthma Clinic may include:

Pulmonary Function Test (standard for children 6 years and up at each visit).

• Watch this video if you would like to see a child doing pulmonary function testing.
• Please DO NOT TAKE your rescue/ bronchodilator medicine (e.g. Bricanyl or Ventolin) for 4 hours before the appointment. This inhaler is usually blue. No combination medications (eg. Advair/purple, Symbicort/red & white, Zenhale/blue with green lid) for a minimum of 24 hours before the appointment as they interfere with the testing unless you are told otherwise by your doctor.

Allergy skin testing (will be done if needed based on patient's triggers)

• Please DO NOT TAKE antihistamines Benadryl (diphenhydramine) or Gravol (dimenhydrinate) for 3 days prior to the appointment and other antihistamines such as Aerius (desloratadine), Allegra (fexofenadine), Claritin (loratadine) or Reactine (cetirizine) as they interfere with the skin test.

For every appointment please bring the following:

1. Patient and their Health Care Card
2. Completed Preparing For My Asthma Appointment worksheet (PDF) (for new visits) or the My Follow-Up Asthma Appointment worksheet (PDF) (for follow-up appointments)
3. ALL of your child's asthma medications and devices (eg. Spacer, AeroChamber)
4. Asthma symptom diary or journal (PDF) (if you have one)
5. Your child's asthma action plan (if you have one)

Reschedule/No show Policy:

• We require at least 72 hours notice for rescheduling and will only reschedule once before a new referral is required

Physicians

Dr. Tiffany Wong, MD
Pediatric Allergist & Immunologist

Dr. Kyla Hildebrand, MSc, MD
Pediatric Allergist & Immunologist    

Dr. Claire Seaton, MD
Pediatrician

Nurse Practitioners

Nurse practitioners (NP) are Masters level prepared advanced practice nurses. They are healthcare professionals with clinical expertise to assess, diagnose and manage asthma.  They can order tests and prescribe medications. Nurse practitioners at the asthma clinic work collaboratively with the healthcare team to improve the health and wellbeing of children and youth with asthma. 
          

 
Dr. Minna Miller, DNP, NP(F)              

Certified asthma educators

Certified Asthma Educators are Registered Nurses with special education in asthma management.  They teach families about asthma, preventative measures, how to avoid triggers, the proper use of medications, appropriate medications and devices, lifestyle counseling, how and when to respond to an asthma flare up, and the use of written action plans that allow adjustment of medications when symptoms worsen. 

Ingrid Baerg, RN, BSN, CAE

Lindsay Yaworski, RN, BSN, CAE

Carla Bondoc, RN, BSN

Administrative Staff

Crystal Do
Nadia Naseem