Better Care Comes Closer To Home For Patients With Deadly Lung Disease

CHICAGO, Jan. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- To further serve the community of patients, caregivers and loved ones affected by pulmonary fibrosis (PF), the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) has announced the expansion of its national PFF Care Center Network (CCN). The network currently includes 45 medical centers across the U.S. with expertise in accurately diagnosing and treating individuals with pulmonary fibrosis.

Beginning January 22, medical centers that meet the PFF's standards for patient care, teaching, and research are invited to apply to join the network by applying online at the PFF's website, pulmonaryfibrosis.org.

Launched in 2013 with nine initial sites, the PFF Care Center Network is currently comprised of medical centers that have experienced teams dedicated to advancing care for patients with fibrotic lung diseases. Experts in pulmonary medicine, rheumatology, radiology, and pathology are required to be part of the care team at each PFF Care Center. (A complete list of CCN sites appears at the end of this release.)

More than 200,000 Americans are living with pulmonary fibrosis and over 50,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. The disease causes more than 40,000 deaths annually. Disease management can be complex and there is no known cure.

Seventy-eight percent of patients in Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) currently live within two hours of a CCN site. The PFF is working to increase this to at least 90 percent of the PF community.

"As the leading advocate for patients with pulmonary fibrosis, we are facilitating much needed access to the individualized and comprehensive care that is so critical to an improved quality of life for patients," said Gregory P. Cosgrove, Chief Medical Officer of the PFF.

"The expansion of the CCN will not only advance the quality of care and services for patients but also offers important support for their caregivers and loved ones."

Patients utilizing CCN sites benefit from receiving a comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis, obtaining recommendations for continuing care, gaining assistance in acquiring essential social services, and having opportunities to participate in research and clinical trials.

CCN medical centers collaborate with the PFF to actively engage their local PF communities with resources, such as support groups, so that patients and caregivers can connect with others impacted by the disease.

Eligibility requirements and the application to become a PFF Care Center Network site are available at pulmonaryfibrosis.org. All applications must be submitted online.

Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation Care Center Network
Alabama
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Arizona
Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital & Medical Center, Phoenix
University of Arizona Interstitial Lung Disease Program at the University of Arizona Medical Center – University Campus in Tucson
California
UCLA Health Interstitial Lung Disease Program, Los Angeles
UCSF Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic, San Francisco
Stanford Health Center, Stanford
Colorado
National Jewish Health, Denver
Connecticut
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven
Florida
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami
Georgia
Piedmont Healthcare, Atlanta
Illinois
University of Chicago Pulmonary Clinic, Chicago
Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago
Kansas
The University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City
Kentucky
University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville
Louisiana
Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans
Maryland
The Johns Hopkins Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic, Baltimore
University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore
Massachusetts
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston
Michigan
University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor
Minnesota
University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis
Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Missouri
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
New York
NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, New York City
NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York City
University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester
Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook
North Carolina
Duke University Medical Center, Durham
Ohio
University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus
Pennsylvania
Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia 
University of Pittsburgh Dorothy P. & Richard P. Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease at UPMC, Pittsburgh
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Hospital, Providence
South Carolina
Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
Tennessee
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville
Texas
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UT Health), Houston
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio
Utah
University of Utah Health Care, Salt Lake City
Virginia
UVA Health Systems, Charlottesville
Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, Falls Church
Washington
Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic at University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle

About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation mobilizes people and resources to provide access to high quality care and leads research for a cure so people with pulmonary fibrosis will live longer, healthier lives. The PFF collaborates with physicians, organizations, patients, and caregivers worldwide. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation has a four-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Better Business Bureau accredited charity.  For more information, visit pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 844.TalkPFF (844.825.5733) or 312.587.9272 from outside of the U.S.

CONTACT:
Dorothy Coyle
773-332-6201

SOURCE The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation