UW Health: Named to the Care Center Network of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation

Contact: Gian Galassi

608-263-5561

ggalassi@uwhealth.org

MADISON–The UW Health Interstitial Lung Disease Program has been selected to join the national Care Center Network of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF), becoming the first program of its kind in Wisconsin and one of only 60 programs nationwide to earn the designation.

The PFF’s Care Center Network is a collection of medical centers with expertise in accurately diagnosing and treating individuals with pulmonary fibrosis and that engages in education and research to help lessen the burden of the disease.

“A diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis can be overwhelming for patients and they are looking for resources to help them face this illness,” says Dr. Nathan Sandbo, a pulmonologist and director of the PFF Care Center at UW Health. “We have a strong track record at UW Health of providing comprehensive multidisciplinary care, access to clinical trials of new therapies, and evaluation for lung transplantation for those patients with more advanced cases of the disease. As the only program in Wisconsin to be selected for this designation, we are honored to partner with PFF, to fill an important gap in the geographic availability of multidisciplinary care for patients, and to deliver the resources they need.”

The pulmonologists with the Interstitial Lung Disease Program at UW Health work with expert radiologists, rheumatologists, gastroenterologists, thoracic surgeons, sleep and pulmonary hypertension specialists, nutritionists and social workers to provide comprehensive care for patients.

Currently, more than 200,000 Americans are living with pulmonary fibrosis, a deadly and complex disease that causes progressive scarring in the lungs. Pulmonary fibrosis causes more than 40,000 deaths annually and approximately 50,000 new cases of the disease are diagnosed each year. There is no known cure.

“As the leading resource for the pulmonary fibrosis community, the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation is dedicated to developing new tools and support to help ensure patients receive a swift and accurate diagnosis along with the highest quality of care,” said Dr. Gregory P. Cosgrove, chief medical officer for the PFF. “The launch of our 15 new Care Center Network sites provides crucial resources for care along with an infrastructure that facilitates research toward a cure.”

For a complete list of PFF Care Center Network sites, visit www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org.