The multidisciplinary adult CF team
As cystic fibrosis care improves with medical advances and increased knowledge of the disease, the population of adults with CF continues to grow. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation requires all accredited CF care centers to have an adult program component. Children's Memorial Hospital's adult cystic fibrosis program at Northwestern University was accredited in 1999 and is staffed by a dedicated multidisciplinary team:
Manu Jain, MD, Board-certified pulmonologist and medical director
Anna Lam, MD, Board-certified pulmonologist and associate director
Joanne Cullina, RN, MSN, Nurse Coordinator
Nicole Berschback, MS, RD Nutritionist
Elizabeth Wielgus, RRT Respiratory therapist
Melissa (Hewitt) McGinnis, LCSW Social worker
Lauren Seymour, PhD, PT and Hanna Arciaga, PhD, PT, Physical therapists
The adult CF team provides comprehensive care, including close monitoring of pulmonary function, early and aggressive treatment of upper respiratory illnesses, nutritional surveillance and assistance with optimizing nutritional status, support for emotional and financial considerations, and education and review of airway clearance techniques and exercise regimens.
Appointments
Appointments with the adult CF team are available every other Thursday morning at Children's Memorial Hospital. Spirometry (lung function testing), radiology and laboratory services are available on site. Valet parking is available in the hospital parking garage. To schedule an appointment, call 312.695.2003.
When an individual is ill, visits are available in the Pulmonary Clinic at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Inpatient Care
Adults with cystic fibrosis who need hospitalization are admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in downtown Chicago. The current state-of-the-art facility was rebuilt and opened in 1999. The hospital's inpatient rooms are all private rooms, and visitors are allowed 24 hours a day; day beds are available for visitors who wish to spend the night. The hospital facility includes a food court for additional dining options, coffee shops, gift shops, and book store. Parking is available adjacent to the main hospital. Individuals with CF are admitted to a general medicine unit, usually 13 East or13 West, where the medical, nursing and respiratory therapy staffs are familiar with cystic fibrosis care.
Research program
Advancing research to improve treatments and quality of life in cystic fibrosis is a mission of the adult CF program at Northwestern University. The program participates in many clinical trials and observational studies, often in conjunction with the pediatric CF program at Children's Memorial Hospital.