Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-limiting genetic disorder in whites, affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. The disease results in the production of abnormally thick mucus, which leads to increased pulmonary infections and damage to the lung. The other organ most commonly involved is the pancreas, which is obstructed as a result of abnormal mucus. With improved treatments, the life span of individuals with CF is steadily increasing; thus specialized care for adults with CF is now a necessity. The University of Colorado Cystic Fibrosis Center is one of the largest in the United States. The Adult Clinic is located at National Jewish, while the Pediatric Clinic is located at The Children’s Hospital.

We offer expertise with the following:

1. Pulmonary care
2. Nutrition
3. Cystic fibrosis related diabetes
4. Genetic counseling

1. Psychosocial and adjustment counseling
2. Social work and patient advocacy

Through our affiliation with National Jewish Medical and Research Center, the University of Colorado Adult CF Center has a nationwide referral base for the evaluation of individuals with mild forms of CF, that in some cases remain unrecognized until adulthood. As the adult component of the University of Colorado CF Center, we are part of the National Therapeutic Development Network and are actively engaged in clinical trials of promising new treatments for CF. We welcome the opportunity to work with patients and primary care physicians in Colorado and throughout the Mountain West.

Address
Adult CF Center
National Jewish Medical and Research Center
1400 Jackson Street
Denver, CO 80206

E-mail: nickj@njc.org

To Schedule an Appointment
Call Marion Jones, R.N. at (303) 398-1178

Clinical Staff
David M. Rodman, M.D., Director
Jerry A. Nick, M.D., Co-Director
Milene Saavedra, M.D.
Kristin Wallick, M.D.
Marion Jones, R.N., Clinic Coordinator
Connie Pickard, R.N., M.S., Nurse Specialist and Genetic Counselor
Sara Brayshaw, R.N., M.S., Nurse Specialist
Rachel Vinicor, L.C.S.W., Social Worker
Byron Greene, R.T., Respiratory Therapist
Brenda Germann, R.D., Nutritionist

Links:
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
http://www.cff.org

National Jewish Medical and Research Center
http://www.njc.org

Barbara Davis Center
http://www.uchsc.edu/misc/diabetes/bdc.html

Chest Center

The University of Colorado Pulmonary Clinic will return to the University of Colorado 9th and Colorado campus beginning September 1, 2002. We are taking great efforts to minimize the impact this move will have on our ability to deliver excellent patient care. Important information is detailed below.

All changes are effective Tuesday, September 3, 2002.

NEW LOCATION
University of Colorado Hospital
4200 East 9th Avenue and Colorado Blvd.
First floor, West Wing, Room 1124

Clinic Days

Monday afternoon:	Marvin Schwarz, M.D. Patrick Arndt, M.D.
Tuesday afternoon:	Andrew Fontenot, M.D.
Wednesday afternoon:	Brian Fouty, M.D. Sarah McKinley, M.D. Todd Astor, M.D. Hal Collard, M.D. Michelle Beutz, M.D.
Thursday afternoon:	Mark Geraci, M.D. William Vandivier, M.D.

For an Appointment please call 303.372.8156

For insurance questions call 303.372.8156

Please review your insurance plan for coverage before calling.

Refills will be available at the University of Colorado Hospital Atrium Pharmacy (303.372.0751) or CICP Pharmacy (303.372.5230)

The Center for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

The Center for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases Director, Norbert F. Voelkel, MD, has been formed to better meet the needs of a health problem of epidemic proportions. Chronic obstructive lung diseases kill approximately 100,000 Americans annually and it is estimated that 17 million patients in the United States have COPD. In comparison to most forms of chronic asthma, which have a readily reversible broncho-constrictive component and can be treated and controlled by a number of effective drugs, COPD is characterized as a non-reactive, chronically progressive disease. The disease often goes undiscovered and surfaces in the 5th or 6th decade. More recently, it has been noted that the incidence of COPD has increased sharply in women, and in particular, black women. It is now apparent to national and international health organizations, as well as to large portions of the pharmaceutical industry, that these patients with COPD are in desperate need of early diagnosis, smoking cessation, effective treatment with to-be-developed drugs, and that enormous efforts must be undertaken to better understand the pathobiology of this group of diseases.

The COPD Center has been selected by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute as one of 6 national centers to participate in the COPD Network. Through this network, the COPD Center will be conducting research trials investigating new therapies for the treatment of COPD.

The concept for the building of the UCD COPD Center, which is the first such specialized center in the nation is interaction and collaboration between clinicians and basic scientists. The work ahead can only be described as enormous as is the potential impact on patients’ quality of life and national healthcare expenditure. From a clinical perspective the UCD COPD Center focuses on an integrated, multidisciplinary treatment program which includes smoking cessation, detection of nocturnal oxygen desaturation, detection of pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary rehabilitation, treatment of muscle wasting disorders, lung volume reduction surgery and pulmonary transplantation. The comprehensive clinical program also focuses on the monitoring and treatment of patients with the genetically transmitted disorder of alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency and on screening of patients with COPD for early lung cancer detection. The UCD Center for COPD diagnosis treatment and research is unique in that it covers all aspects of chronic obstructive lung diseases and includes the early detection of lung cancer, since our center recognizes that COPD is the precancerous lesion which shares with lung cancer a genetic susceptibility and a risk factor, namely smoking.

In addition to the clinical services, the COPD Center dedicates a number of activities to the investigation of the pathobiology of chronic obstructive lung diseases. At the present time our research is focused on the following areas:

• development and validation of novel biomarkers which allow detection and monitoring of progression of the disease and assessment of treatment success or failure
• lung tissue based investigation of the gene and protein expression which distinguishes COPD and alpha-a1-antitrypsin deficiency-triggered diseased lungs from normal lung tissue
• chronic cigarette smoking changes the lung cell phenotype, causes apoptosis of alveolar structure cells and may ultimately give rise to the development of apoptosis-resistant cells; the spectrum of cellular and molecular alterations are being investigated in interdisciplinary fashion, with the participation of the UCD Cancer Center and investigators from the School of Pharmacy
• the pathomechanism of the so-called COPD exacerbation is poorly understood; our group is mounting an effort to focus clinical studies examining bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue from patients with acute exacerbations

COPD staff:

• R. William Vandiver, MD Clinical Director
• Kelly Greene, MD
• Patrick Nana-Sinkam, MD
• Sarah McKinley, MD
• Christine Stevens, RN, BSN Clinical/Research Coordinator

For additional information, call 1-866-599-COPD (2673), or contact
Norbert Voelkel, M.D., Tel. (303) 315-7047, Fax (303) 315-5632

For more information, visit the University of Colorado Hospital COPD Clinic website.

Colorado Clinical Coordinating Center (CCCC)

Since 1998, the Colorado Clinical Coordinating Center (CCCC) has provided patient eligibility support and patient management guidance to investigative sites around the world involved in clinical studies of novel agents for sepsis or ARDS. The CCCC has been involved in coordination of studies involving more than 2500 patients and 250 clinical sites, as well as smaller studies.

The Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Colorado Denver is part of the NIH ARDS Network and is one of only 10 centers funded by the NIH to do clinical research in acute lung injury.

Director
Edward Abraham, M.D.

For more information, visit http://www2.uchsc.edu/cccc or e-mail CCCC.info@UCHSC.edu.

Interstitial Lung Disease Program

Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) is a broad category of lung diseases that includes more than 150 disorders characterized by scarring (fibrosis) or inflammation of the lungs. Our mission as the doctors and staff of the interstitial lung disease program is the comprehensive evaluation and treatment of patients with ILD while actively researching new ways to treat and prevent these disabling diseases. Our research includes active treatment trials for selected diseases, and clinical and basic science (bench-top) investigations into the cause of these disorders.

The following are just some of the pulmonary diseases the ILD Clinic evaluates:

• Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)
• Non-Specific Interstitial Pneumonia (NSIP)
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
• Connective Tissue Disease -related Interstitial Lung Disease
• Bronchiolitis
• Respiratory Bronchiolitis (RB-ILD)
• Bronchiolitis Obliterans Organizing Pneumonia (BOOP)
• Desquamative Interstitial Pneumonia (DIP)
• Lymphocytic Interstitial Pneumonia (LIP)
• Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis
• Pulmonary Vasculitis
• Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)

Address
National Jewish Medical and Research Center
1400 Jackson Street
Denver, Colorado 80206

Call for Information
Tel: (303) 398-1621
Fax: (303) 270-2240

Personnel

Kevin K. Brown, M.D. Director, ILD Program		Marvin Schwarz, M.D. Principal Investigator
Dolly Kervitsky, C.R.T.T., C.R.C. Manager, Lead Coordinator		Jason Vourlekis, M.D. Staff Physician
Carol Bair, R.C.P. Clinical Coordinator		Martin Wallace, H.T., B.S. Pathology Coordinator
Jennifer Shindoll Administrative Assistant		Libby Kluka Clinical Research Coordinator

Pulmonary Hypertension Center

The Pulmonary Hypertension Center at the University of Colorado Denver is a multi-disciplinary, regional referral center for the care of patients with all forms of pulmonary vascular disease. The clinic provides state-of-the-art care for patients with pulmonary hypertension, as well as the opportunity to participate in multi-center clinical trials and other studies. Patients are cared for by a team of four pulmonary and critical care physicians, and three nurse coordinators, with the frequent involvement of physicians from other specialties including cardiology, radiology, hematology, and hepatology. We strive to provide the very best patient care available, and to learn from each patient that we see.

Initial appointments for the Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic are scheduled through the University Physician’s Referral Service. They will help ensure the appropriate referrals are in place and copies of your medical records have been received that we may better serve you.

To schedule an appointment, please contact the Physician’s Referral Service at:

For more information, please contact:

Gene Gafford
Pulmonary Hypertension Administrative Assistant
4200 East Ninth Avenue, C-272
Denver, CO 80262
Tel: (303)315-1800
Fax: (303)315-1806

Clinical Staff
David B. Badesch, M.D., Clinical Director
Norbert F. Voelkel, M.D., Research Director
Karen Fagan, M.D.
Todd Bull, M.D.
Susan Cartwright, R.N.
Jennifer Nelson, R.N.
Cathy Sunday, R.N.

Research Staff
Sharolene Goodman, RRT, CCRC
Deborah Wirth, R.N.

Lung Transplantation Program

The Lung Transplant Program (LTX) was established in 1992 and has become one of the most active programs in the country. Single, double and heart-lung transplants have been performed for a variety of pulmonary parenchymal and vascular disorders. The lung transplant group is a multidisciplinary team consisting of cardiothoracic surgeons, transplant pulmonologists, nurse coordinators and physical and respiratory therapists.

For more information, please call:

Or visit our website at:

General information on lung transplantation can be found at

• http://uch.uchsc.edu/sotx/
• http://www.usctransplant.org