Interstitial Lung Disease Program

Center For Interstitial Lung Disease:

In March 2002 the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine started a specialty clinic dedicated to patients with Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD).  Over the past five years the number of patients seen per month in the ILD Clinic has grown 400 percent and includes patients with sarcoidosis, scleroderma, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), Hypersensitiviy Pneumonitis, Mixed Connective Tissue Disease secondary to Rheumatoid Arthritis, Neurofibromatosis, Polymyositis, and various occupational lung diseases such as silicosis and berryliosis.  We offer a comprehensive, individualized, multi-disciplinary approach to patient care, and work with multiple medical subspecialties including Rheumatology, Gastroenterology, Radiology, and Pathology. This collaborative approach allows us to both identify the specific type of ILD and optimize treatment and its associated problems.

Our comprehensive review includes referral to pulmonary rehabilitation programs, assistance with oxygen prescriptions including travel arrangements, communication with community physicians and educating patients regarding oxygen therapy, medications, assistance with home or hospice care, and referral to pulmonary rehabilitation.  We are actively involved in clinical research trials, provide symptom management of cough and shortness of breath, offer an IPF support group, and have an active clinical and laboratory research program.  Dr. Glenn Rosen, Director of the ILD Center, is working on understanding the cause of these scarring lung diseases and developing novel treatments.  Approximately 20 percent of our ILD patients are referred to Thoracic Surgery for surgical lung biopsy to help make a diagnosis, and another 30 to 40 percent are referred for lung transplantation. 

Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group:

Our Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group was founded in April 2004 and is coordinated by Susan Jacobs RN, MS. There are meetings every other month. Guest speakers have addressed topics such as Experimental Therapies for IPF, Update from the American Thoracic Society Meetings, The Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis IPF Research Questionnaire Results, All You Need to Know About Oxygen, Exercise and the IPF Patient, and Quality of Life at the End of Life. Friends and family members of IPF patients are welcome to attend Support Group meetings.

Our mission and commitment is to improve the lives of patients with fibrotic lung disease by offering expert clinical care and striving to find new, more effective and safe treatments.

For more information regarding patient referrals, clinical trials, or our Support Group, please contact: Susan Jacobs RN, MS, (650) 725-8082