Pulmonology

Wake Forest Baptist provides a full range of clinical services to patients with respiratory, allergic, immunologic and sleep disorders. It is the only comprehensive center for allergic and respiratory disease in Southeast with National Institutes of Health-supported networks in asthma, severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and adult respiratory distress syndrome.

Respiratory disease services provided at Wake Forest Baptist are coordinated in the section on Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Immunologic Diseases. Many of these services are not readily available at other medical facilities, including:

• Clinical trials for leading-edge diagnostic and treatment options for common pulmonary problems such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome and lung cancer. The Lung Cancer Alliance has named Wake Forest Baptist a Screening Center of Excellence.
• Expertise in advanced diagnostic and therapeutic bronchoscopy.
• Comprehensive management of chronic respiratory diseases.
• A thoracic oncology program.
• Advanced treatments for occupational pulmonary diseases such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.
• Specialty clinics for severe asthma, pulmonary hypertension, sleep disorders, bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis.

The section also conducts clinical trials for leading-edge diagnostic and treatment options for common pulmonary problems such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome and lung cancer and has ongoing research programs in numerous areas, including genetic susceptibility to respiratory diseases.

Critical Care Services

Critical care services provided at Wake Forest Baptist include expert management of patients with critical illness by physicians who are board certified in critical care medicine, in conjunction with expert consultants representing the full range of medical and surgical specialties. Patients with severe critical illness are regularly transferred to Wake Forest Baptist for life-sustaining treatments often unavailable at other hospitals. A rigorous safety and quality improvement structure within the medical intensive care unit ensures that each patient receives the best available care during their illness, while dedicated support nurses focus on the comfort and experience of patients and their families.

Allergy and Immunologic Diseases

At our allergy, asthma and immunology clinics, we provide more options, resources and services for diagnosis and treatment than are readily available at many other medical facilities. Patients see allergist/immunologists who include nationally recognized experts in the field, and are certified by the American Board of Allergy & Immunology, a conjoint board of the American Board of Internal Medicine and American Board of Pediatrics. Our faculty physicians also train subspecialty physicians and engage in research. Learn more about Allergy and Immunologic Diseases.

Respiratory Care Services

Respiratory Care Services are active in all adult, pediatric and neonatal patient care settings. They provide around-the-clock services to all Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center medical/surgical floors, critical care units and emergency departments. Our Respiratory Therapists are dedicated members on both internal and external critical care transport teams.

Respiratory therapists predominately work with patients who have acute or chronic heart and lung diseases or diseases that adversely affect the heart and lungs. They also are called upon during trauma-related conditions such as burns, automobile accidents, over doses and gun and knife injuries. Respiratory therapists are part of the Code Blue Team which respond to all cardiac and respiratory arrests and provide CPR.

Respiratory therapists also assist patients and their families with education and instruction with respiratory home care therapy and associated equipment.

From critical care to patient and family education, the respiratory therapist is an active and vital part of the healthcare team.