COPD Certification

UVA Second in U.S. to Receive Joint Commission Certification

Earlier this year, the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) program at the University of Virginia Health System became the second such program in the U.S. to be certified by The Joint Commission.

According to The Joint Commission’s website, the COPD certification program recognizes centers making exceptional efforts to create better outcomes for COPD through several key program elements. They include smoking cessation and risk factor management; educating patients on managing their COPD; using spirometry; meeting staff education requirements; and providing coordinated care for patients.

“It is a tremendous testimony to how all members of this Medical Center treatment team are dedicated to taking care of sometimes the sickest of all COPD patients,” says pulmonologist Y. Michael Shim, MD. “The multidisciplinary approaches we have created here are what is needed to positively impact COPD patient care.”

Enhancing UVA’s Multidisciplinary Treatment

As UVA’s COPD team moved through The Joint Commission evaluation process, they took several steps to enhance the care provided to patients, including the addition of a patient care coordinator, a role now filled by Peggie Donowitz, RN, MSN. Donowitz serves as the contact person for patients, family members and referring physicians using the program. Her roles include coordinating the testing and evaluation performed by different members of UVA’s multidisciplinary treatment team, allowing patients to receive most, if not all, of their evaluation exams in a single visit. “I give them one point of contact to follow through with any questions or concerns they may have,” she says.

UVA has also taken steps to make patients’ COPD care more comprehensive, says pulmonologist Cynthia Brown, MD, including better integration of smoking cessation services and behavioral medicine as well as improved coordination of care with UVA’s Continuum Home Health Program. “We want to not only treat their symptoms, but improve their quality of life as they live with this disease,” she says.

Members of the COPD team have also updated and enhanced patient education materials and are doing additional outreach events. “We want to reach out to patients and family members to educate them about how to cope with the disease, as well as reach out to primary care physicians to help them work with their patients that have COPD,” Shim says.

Comprehensive Treatment Options

UVA’s COPD specialists can help diagnose patients and assist in developing a treatment plan or offer a second opinion to ensure patients are receiving the optimal treatment regimen tailored to their specific condition and symptoms, Donowitz says. UVA’s COPD clinic brings together a specialized team of pulmonary, thoracic surgery, respiratory therapy and transplant experts to partner with referring physicians to care for each patient.

UVA offers the full range of diagnostic exams for patients as well as comprehensive non-surgical and surgical treatments. Non-surgical options include medication and oxygen therapy, which can be delivered through transtracheal catheters. Patients who may be surgical candidates for lung-volume reduction surgery or lung transplantation can generally get an opinion from a surgeon within 24 hours to 48 hours on their general candidacy for a procedure, Donowitz says. Access to leading-edge investigational treatments is also available through clinical trials.

For your patient’s convenience, UVA provides onsite pulmonary rehabilitation or will work with outpatient facilities to set up a pulmonary rehabilitation program closer to their home, says respiratory therapist Michelle Dumont, RRT. Each rehabilitation program is customized for the patient’s specific health needs and focuses on improving the patient’s quality of life, including everyday tasks such as climbing steps and making the bed.

Dumont works with patients on smoking cessation and checking medication and inhalers to make sure they’re working effectively and being used properly. She also helps run a support group, the Better Breathers Club, which meets every other month to discuss topics that include COPD research and new therapies for treating COPD.

To refer a patient for COPD care, call UVA Physician Direct at 800.552.3723.

When to Refer

COPD patients meeting any of these criteria may benefit from a referral to UVA:

  • Refractory to standard therapies
  • Severe dyspnea despite maximum medical therapy
  • High oxygen requirement or desire for transtracheal oxygen
  • Patients needing pulmonary rehabilitation, exercise testing or smoking cessation counseling
  • Patients who may require surgery
  • Patients seeking investigational therapies

 

COPD Clinical Trials at UVA

Open COPD clinical trials at UVA include:

Valve System for Emphysema Patients: UVA is part of a multicenter clinical trial examining the safety and effectiveness of the Intra-Bronchial Valve (IBV) System. The valve is intended to improve a patient’s lung function by allowing secretions and air in unhealthy sections of the lung to escape while redirecting inhaled air to the healthy portions of the patient’s lung. Principal Investigator: Jonathan Truwit, MD, MBA.

Treating Sleep Problems in COPD Patients: This study is examining what causes sleep disturbances in COPD patients and the safety and effectiveness of a new treatment called nocturnal nasal insufflation to treat sleep problems. Principal Investigator: Cynthia Brown, MD.

Inflammation and Emphysema: UVA is a part of a multicenter study examining the role of inflammation in developing emphysema. This study intends to find out why about 25 percent of smokers develop the emphysematous variant of COPD by studying patients’ blood, sputum and urine. Principal Investigator: Y. Michael Shim, MD.

To refer a patient to any of these clinical trials, call UVA Physician Direct at 800.552.3723.