About Our Practice

The Tulane University Adult CF Program clinic is located on the 7th floor of the Tulane Medical Center at the Tulane Lung Center.  Our doctors are board-certified pulmonologists and faculty at Tulane University School of Medicine with particular expertise in the clinical care for adults with cystic fibrosis.

The Tulane University Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program is one of 96 CF Foundation-Accredited Care Centers around the country. The high quality of specialized care available throughout the care center network has led to the improved length and quality of life for people with CF. Located at teaching and community hospitals across the country, these care centers offer the best care, treatments, and support for those with CF. For more information, visit www.cff.org

Our Team

As CF is a multi-organ system disease affecting the lives of both the patient and his/her family, our CF team includes the following healthcare professionals:

Pulmonary Physicians

We have three CF physicians who are responsible for pulmonary care in both the outpatient clinic and in-patient management of adult patients with CF in Louisiana and the Southeastern United States. Our physicians strive to provide optimal clinical care for our patients while conducting research that will increase our understanding of CF and improve the lives of our patients.

Nurse Coordinator

The Tulane Adult CF Clinic has a nurse coordinator who organizes clinic and schedules patients, necessary procedures, follow-up clinic visits and hospital admissions. They coordinate care between patients and physicians, endocrinologist, dietitian, social worker and respiratory therapist. In addition, they take care of insurance precertification for clinic visits, laboratory procedures and hospital admissions.

Respiratory Therapist

At least one respiratory therapist is available at all clinic visits. RTs are responsible for the following:

• Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs)
• Sputum induction
• Education on Airway Clearance Techniques (ACTs)

Endocrinology

Endocrine issues in patients with CF include:

• CF Related Diabetes (insulin-requiring diabetes)
• Bone health and fracture prevention
• Reproductive care and menopause transition

Registered Dietitian

A registered dietitian (RD) is available to help CF patients optimize their nutritional status. When a person's nutrition status is better, so is his or her lung function. The RD's goal is to help an adult CF patient personalize nutrition-related goals to his or her own lifestyle. Nutrition visits include discussing the following:

• Personalizing weight goals
• Achieving optimal vitamin and mineral levels
• Accessing nutrition support programs
• Optimizing pancreatic enzyme dosing
• Pregnancy and lactation
• Bone health
• CF Related Diabetes

Social Worker

Social workers in the CF team have an important role to play in helping patients and their families cope more effectively with the inevitable stress of having a chronic illness. By acting as an advocate for patients, social work assessments guide CF patients toward the following:

• Income support
• Housing resources
• Education/college grants
• Help with employment
• Liaison with other agencies
• Financial and benefit advice and how to apply for disability

Research Coordinators

We have one research nurse who prepares Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions for new research studies, including research study protocol summaries, consent forms, assent forms and required IRB forms, as well as protocol amendments, safety updates, and serious adverse events. These studies are investigator-initiated by our physicians.

We welcome the opportunity to work with patients and primary care physicians in Louisiana and throughout the Southeast.