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Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine
Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine Care, Education & Research
The Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) provides compassionate care for patients with critical illness, lung, chest, airway conditions, and sleep-related disorders. Our division offers a comprehensive range of outpatient and inpatient services, including specialized care at the Pulmonary Ambulatory Clinic.
Our mission is to improve the lives of people with acute and chronic respiratory illness, people with disordered sleep, as well as patients with life-threatening conditions. We treat disorders of the chest, lungs and airways, and sleep. We strive for extraordinary and personalized patient care, world-class education, and innovative research.
More About the Division
Care & Services
Our experienced team works closely with patients and their families to develop individualized treatment plans that address both immediate and long-term health needs. Whether managing chronic conditions or providing critical care, BIDMC’s Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Division is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of every patient.
The following centers and programs within the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine showcase our commitment to multidisciplinary collaboration in clinical care, research, and academic initiatives:
Asthma, Obstructive Lung Diseases, and Dyspnea
The Asthma and Dyspnea Center is dedicated to providing comprehensive care for patients experiencing asthma and breathlessness. Our multidisciplinary team of specialists employs a collaborative approach to diagnose, manage, and treat these conditions effectively. BIDMC’s Asthma and Dyspnea Center is one of only two clinics in the United States devoted to better understanding the causes of dyspnea. Through research, advanced medical care and patient education, the goal is to relieve symptoms of shortness of breath.
With state-of-the-art diagnostics, specially-trained clinical specialists provide comprehensive care for patients experiencing symptoms of dyspnea, including patients with asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis, or a variety of other medical conditions. The Asthma and Dyspnea Center uses state-of-the-art technology in performing diagnostic breathing and exercise testing to determine the physiological basis for symptoms of dyspnea. Physicians provide guidance for optimizing the use of medications, including inhalers, nebulized therapies, and novel interventional approaches to many respiratory disorders.
The Center offers a comprehensive, individualized pulmonary rehabilitation program for patients with significant functional limitations due to shortness of breath. For patients who require home oxygen, arrangements for personalized oxygen delivery devices are made based on specific patient needs. Patient and family education about dyspnea and underlying medical conditions is a major component of the rehabilitation program.
Several specialized services are available in collaboration with our Interventional Pulmonology colleagues. For patients who require supplemental oxygen, individuals can be evaluated for placement of a transtracheal catheter that may provide greater comfort and patient mobility. Patients with severe emphysema have the opportunities to enroll in leading-edge research studies, such as the use of endobronchial lung volume reduction. This is a new technology that may allow patients to receive the benefits of lung volume reduction without undergoing surgery.
Critical Illness & COVID-19 Survivorship Program
The Critical Illness and COVID-19 Survivorship Program is dedicated to supporting patients recovering from severe illnesses, including COVID-19 and other critical conditions. Our program focuses on addressing the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges that can arise after critical illness.
Interstitial Lung Diseases Center
The Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILD) Center is dedicated to providing expert diagnosis, treatment, and management of interstitial lung diseases, a group of disorders characterized by inflammation and scarring of the lung tissue. Our multidisciplinary team is committed to delivering comprehensive care tailored to each patient’s unique needs.
Our team of experienced practitioners includes pulmonologists, pathologists, radiologists, thoracic surgeons, and physical therapists expert in pulmonary rehabilitation. The conditions we evaluate and treat include:
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- Sarcoidosis
- Lung fibrosis or inflammation related to rheumatological disease (rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, sjogren’s syndrome, among others)
- Lung fibrosis or inflammation caused by medications, chemotherapy or radiation
- Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP)
- Nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
- Eosinophilic pneumonia
Medical Intensive Care
The Medical Intensive Care Service at BIDMC is committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate care for patients with severe and complex medical conditions. Our skilled team of intensivists and healthcare professionals provides comprehensive management within a state-of-the-art critical care environment, ensuring optimal support for each patient.
Pulmonary Function Laboratory
The Pulmonary Function Laboratory is dedicated to providing accurate and detailed assessments of lung function for patients with respiratory conditions. Our state-of-the-art facility is equipped with advanced technology to perform a variety of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) that help diagnose and manage conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease, and other pulmonary disorders.
Pulmonary Hypertension Center
BIDMC’s Pulmonary Hypertension Center provides a state-of-the-art multidisciplinary approach to the evaluation and treatment of pulmonary hypertension. Specialists in a number of disciplines, including pulmonary medicine, cardiology, radiology, physical therapy and nursing collaborate to provide comprehensive services for patients with pulmonary hypertension and their families.
Education & Training
Our educational programs include world-class fellowships for physicians seeking advanced training in pulmonary, critical care or sleep medicine. All of the major Harvard Medical School courses related to respiratory physiology and pathophysiology are taught and directed by our members. We also offer CME programs for physicians and other healthcare providers.
- MGH-BIDMC Harvard Pulmonary & Critical Care Fellowship Program
- Clinical Sleep Training Program
- Interventional Pulmonology Fellowships
- Continuing Education & Professional Development
Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine Training
Members of the Division participate in a broad range of teaching activities for medical students, medical residents, postdoctoral fellows and the continuing medical education of physician staff. Faculty have been recognized by Harvard Medical School as well as national organizations as outstanding teachers, and play leadership roles in advancing medical education.
National & International Impact
Members of the Division frequently lecture at national meetings, serve as visiting professors, and are invited speakers at hospitals throughout New England. Dr. Schwartzstein has organized and taught several postgraduate courses for the American Thoracic Society as well as IPOKRaTES, an organization that brings leading international medical educators to Europe to train students and physicians.
Teaching at Harvard Medical School
The Division continues to actively contribute to the educational mission of the BIDMC and Harvard Medical School (HMS). All members of the Division participate in HMS lectures, precept medical students and lead small group discussions. In addition, select members of the Division provide leadership roles in organizing and instructing HMS courses such as Integrated Human Physiology (Richard Schwartzstein, MD and Michael Ferrera, MD), Human Systems: External Education Pathophysiology (David Roberts, MD), and Patient-Doctor II.
Division members maintain a longstanding tradition for excellence in teaching as identified by HMS, with numerous teaching awards including HMS Excellence in Teaching Award (Richard Schwartzstein, MD for 2001, 2004, and 2005 and David Roberts, MD in 2006), and the S. Robert Stone Award for Excellence in Teaching (Drs. Silvestri, Schwartzstein, and Roberts).
Teaching at BIDMC
The Division members contribute to the educational mission of BIDMC, teaching medical residents through participation in Firm Conferences, didactic lectures to the general housestaff, teaching rounds during Pulmonary consultation service, and teaching rounds during MICU service.
In addition to his clinical responsibilities within the Division, Richard Schwartzstein, MD also serves as the Vice President for Education at BIDMC, and as the Executive Director of the Shapiro Institute for Education and Research.
Faculty Education/CME Courses
- Medical Thoracoscopy and other Procedures in the Management of Pleural Disorders
- Advanced Diagnostic Bronchoscopy
- Clinical Physiology Course at American Thoracic Society
- Internal Medicine Update: Focus on Pulmonary Diseases
Faculty Education Conferences
- Critical Care M&M Conference (twice monthly)
- Pulmonary Radiology Clinical Case Conference (twice monthly)
- Critical Care Journal Club (twice monthly)
- Pulmonary Journal Club (twice monthly)
- Multidisciplinary Thoracic Oncology Conference (weekly)
- Ambulatory Pulmonary Medicine Case Conference (weekly)
Research
The Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine at BIDMC is at the forefront of research in respiratory health and critical care. Our members have funding from the National Institutes of Health to study basic mechanisms of disease pathogenesis and the clinical expression of those diseases.
