Tufts Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, University of Nebraska Medical Center and National Jewish Health have received accreditation as PHA Centers of Comprehensive Care (CCC) as part of the Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers (PHCC) program, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association announces.
SILVER SPRING, MD. (PRWEB) MARCH 19, 2020
The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) announces that Tufts Medical Center in Boston; Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland; University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska; and National Jewish Health in Denver have received accreditation as PHA Centers of Comprehensive Care (CCC) as part of its Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers (PHCC) program. They received accreditation from PHA after demonstrating their ability to deliver quality care to patients living with pulmonary hypertension (PH), a complex, often misdiagnosed, life-threatening disease.
Since PHA’s accreditation program launched in 2014, 80 programs in 32 states have received PHCC accreditation. The program includes 59 adult and eight pediatric CCCs along with 13 adult Regional Clinical Programs (RCP).
The complex disease is thought to affect about 25 million adults and children worldwide and can occur among those with left-heart disease, along with sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), scleroderma and other associated diseases. PH is significantly underdiagnosed and misunderstood. Symptoms, including shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain, are not necessarily specific to PH and can lead to dangerous delays in a correct diagnosis.
Although no cure exists, early diagnosis and proper treatment can extend and improve a patient’s quality of life. In addition, advances in treatment and a better understanding of PH have led to effective therapies and improved survival for many types of PH, once diagnosed.
“We are thrilled to see the PHCC network continue to grow. This program is an important step toward providing quality care for PH patients and offering scientists and clinicians opportunities to advance clinical research,” says Elizabeth Joseloff, Ph.D., vice president, Quality Care & Research, for PHA.
PHA-accredited sites are eligible for participation in the PHA registry (PHAR). PHAR collects data from individuals with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), pediatric PH due to developmental lung disease and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) who are starting evaluation and/or treatment at PHCCs across the United States. Over time, PHAR will help researchers evaluate trends and practice patterns to determine the treatments that work best and support PH research.
About the Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is the oldest and largest nonprofit patient association dedicated to the pulmonary hypertension (PH) community. Pulmonary hypertension is a rare, chronic and life-threatening disease of the lungs for which no cure currently exists. PHA’s mission is to extend and improve the lives of those affected by PH. To achieve this mission, PHA engages people with PH and their families, caregivers, health care providers, and researchers worldwide who work together to advocate for the PH community, provide support to patients, caregivers and families, offer up-to-date education and information on PH, improve quality patient care, and fund and promote research. For more information, visit the PHA website
