The University of Vermont Lung Center Program

Among the most common diseases of industrialized nations, lung diseases (asthma, COPD) are a significant health problem. If left untreated, there is an irreversible loss of lung function with an attendant decrease in the quality of life and a significant fiscal impact on society; asthma now afflicts 6% of the adult population. The disturbing statistics are the recent reports that asthma prevalence in pediatric populations approaches 20%. Asthma is by far the most significant disease of childhood. While other common causes of death (e.g. cardiovascular disease) show steady decline in rates of mortality, all forms of lung disease continue to rise unabated. By 2020, it is estimated that lung disease will be the 3rd most common cause of mortality.

It is within this context that the Vermont Lung Center Program is structured to provide three elements:

1. Patient care of the highest quality
2. Stratified educational programs
3. A cornerstone of research programs

Quality Patient Care: Care of patients with lung disease presents a number of unique problems for optimal healthcare delivery, particularly in the rural setting of Vermont. These problems stem from the episodic and unstable nature of these diseases which require frequent adjustments in treatment. Due to the sudden onset of symptoms, patients with more severe disease often utilize inordinate amounts of health care resources (e.g. the emergency room). As the quality of life for these patients is poor, we are establishing a regional center of excellence to improve the use of health care by patients with more severe disease. Particular attention will be paid to the emergent crisis of childhood asthma. Given the rural setting of the region, various forms of outreach such as tele-medicine and the use of a computer Web site or an 800 phone number are being explored. The goal will be to establish the Lung Center as the regional point of expertise, referral and quality patient care.

Visit the Pulmonary and Critical Care page

Stratified Educational Programs: The  Lung Center has also been established as a regional focal point for education. A stratified series of education programs are being offered that target a varied audience including patients, parents/guardians of patients, health care professionals, the academic community, and the general public. Teaching and reinforcement of these lessons are considered vital in improving patient compliance with treatment. Education for care providers will be tailored to opportunities and need, but will extend beyond the boundaries of the VLC to the general medical community of the region. Workshops, seminars, and lectures are being developed. All these educational vehicles have the additional benefit of keeping the work of the VLC in the public eye. As examples, we have established a workshop on Lung Mechanics which draws participants from across the nation and hosted the "Flow-Volume Underworld" in 2003. In addition, we are starting one-day asthma seminars for PCPs. A yearly international symposium covering the latest developments in the field of lung disease is currently in development.

Lung Research Programs: The cornerstone of the Lung Center program will be a high-profile, world-class research program. The current program is multi-departmental (medicine, pediatrics, pathology, physiology, engineering, immunobiology) and multidisciplinary (physiology, pathology, cardiovascular, bio-engineering and cell biology). The faculty involved are a cohesive group; interactive and dedicated to improving the research climate within UVM and the College of Medicine. The first priority was to encourage and foster investigator-driven protocols on clinical investigation encompassing both investigator and pharmaceutical-initiated studies and trials. Our first big success was the American Lung Association funded "Asthma Clinical Research Center" award. Translational investigation seeking in vivo correlates and conceptual proof-of-concept of basic mechanisms are a natural at UVM/FAHC and led to our successful NIH-funded COBRE award. Particular care will be exercised and critical review sought to ensure the centerpiece research program is at the highest level of excellence, that it stays focused on key issues, and that it creates an environment fostering pivotal scientific discovery.

Excitement about developing this program is already evident and is fueled by our recent acquisition of two large peer-reviewed grants: the American Lung Association-Asthma Clinical Research Center (ACRC) and the NIH COBRE awards. Key to the success of this program is the people who will be involved – many of whom are already here, and also those who will be joining us.