Pulmonary Disease
Welcome
The most commonly treated disorders are asthma (which affects about 8 million children in the U.S.), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (a condition of premature infants who require oxygen for prolonged periods), cystic fibrosis, and airway diseases. Flexible bronchoscopy is performed by the physicians to diagnose and treat airway and lung disorders, both in hospital and in the endoscopy unit for out-patients. Clinics are held 5 days a week for new patient consults and follow-up care.
The Albany Medical Center Advantage
The division includes an accredited Cystic Fibrosis Care Center. Patients with cystic fibrosis, from birth to 21 years, are seen by the entire team at regular intervals throughout the year. Sweat testing, for diagnosis of CF, is performed three mornings a week. Patients are referred for sweat testing either by their primary care physician, or by the Newborn Screening Program of the NY State Health Department. The division receives a grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to provide some of the needed services to this population.
The division is participating in several CF-related research projects. A major initiative having been our participation in a quality improvement learning collaborative with 14 other CF centers. Sponsored by NICHQI (National institute of Child Health Quality Improvement) the focus has been two fold: decreasing the exposure of children with CF to environmental tobacco smoke at home.
The Cystic Fibrosis Center publishes a quarterly newsletter "CF Connection" for patients and families, and the physicians and staff attend the North American CF Conference each October.
The pulmonary division participates in the educational mission of Albany Medical College, by teaching pediatric residents, as well as medical students. Students on their third year pediatric rotation may spend a week working with the physicians. Fourth year students may elect a 2 to 4 week more intensive experience. Pediatric residents spend a month elective on the pulmonary service. First year students are introduced to the clinical aspects of CF (on their first day of medical school) and second year students are taught about the unique aspects of pediatric lung disease. The staff of the division also provides educational experiences to respiratory therapy students from Hudson Valley Community College and nursing students form Ellis Hospital School of Nursing. The division does community service by teaching about asthma through our participation in the Greater Capital District Asthma Coalition, which serves a 7 county region of upstate New York.
Location
A-235
Albany Medical Center (Main Campus)
43 New Scotland Avenue
Albany, NY
Contact Us
Phone: 518-262-6880
Fax: 518-262-6884
Office Hours
8:30am - 4:30pm
