The Pulmonary Service Line at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, in strong partnership with Wayne State University, stands as a premier clinical and academic program dedicated to providing exceptional care for veterans. Prioritizing the patient experience, the center is committed to delivering timely, high-quality medical services while also playing a vital role in training the next generation of pulmonary specialists. To ensure comprehensive and tailored treatment, the pulmonary service line is organized into six specialized Centers of Excellence, each focused on specific pulmonary diseases and designed to meet the unique needs of every patient. These multidisciplinary programs bring together expert teams to streamline care pathways, enhance patient outcomes, and deliver state-of-the-art services to our nation’s veterans.
Comprehensive COPD Center of Excellence at John D. Dingell VA Medical Center
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a serious, yet often preventable and treatable condition characterized by persistent airflow limitation, most commonly caused by cigarette smoking. The John D. Dingell VA Medical Center addresses this widespread health concern with a robust outpatient program, conducting 60 pulmonary clinics monthly. These clinics cater to both general pulmonary conditions and specialized pulmonary diseases, ensuring veterans have access to the precise expertise they require. Staffed by highly skilled teams of pulmonary specialists, dedicated nurses, respiratory therapists, smoking cessation experts, and pharmacists, these clinics offer comprehensive care for all stages of COPD. For veterans facing advanced COPD, the medical center features a dedicated multidisciplinary COPD Center. This center convenes weekly, providing intensive, specialized care, including thorough evaluations for non-invasive ventilation needs, referrals to pulmonary rehabilitation programs, assessments for potential surgical interventions or palliative care, and crucial patient education and ongoing monitoring.
Advanced Lung Nodule Program at Detroit VAMC
The Detroit VA Medical Center is recognized for its sophisticated program dedicated to the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of lung nodules. Central to this program is a weekly interdisciplinary lung nodule board meeting where all new pulmonary nodule cases are comprehensively reviewed. This board comprises a diverse team of experts, including pulmonary specialists, thoracic surgeons, interventional radiologists, oncologists, respiratory therapists, primary care providers, a dedicated pulmonary nurse navigator, and pulmonary fellows in training. The high educational value and quality of patient care provided by this meeting have been recognized with Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit accreditation from Wayne State University, highlighting the program’s commitment to excellence and collaborative expertise.
Specialized Pulmonary Hypertension Program
The John D. Dingell VA Medical Center provides targeted care for veterans with pulmonary hypertension through its specialized pulmonary hypertension clinic. Operating every Wednesday afternoon, this clinic delivers focused services for patients diagnosed with this complex condition. The clinic’s structure is designed to efficiently coordinate and arrange all necessary services for pulmonary hypertension patients, ensuring seamless and comprehensive care.
24/7 Respiratory Care Center
The Respiratory Care Center at the Detroit VAMC is staffed by a dedicated team of 21 highly trained respiratory therapists, providing round-the-clock respiratory care, seven days a week. This ensures that veterans have continuous access to essential respiratory support and treatment whenever needed.
The Respiratory Care Center offers a wide spectrum of services, including:
- Nebulized Mist Treatment (NMT)
- Metered-Dose Inhaler (MDI) instruction and administration
- Chest percussion techniques
- Oxygen therapy management
- Home and travel oxygen setup and support
- Annual Spo2 evaluations to monitor oxygen saturation
- 6-minute walk testing to assess functional capacity
- CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) setup and training for sleep apnea
- Ventilator management for patients requiring mechanical ventilation
- CPAP and BIPAP (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) management and patient education
- Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) collection and analysis
- Comprehensive Pulmonary Function Testing, encompassing:
- Spirometry to measure airflow
- Lung Volumes assessment
- Lung Diffusing Capacity evaluation
- Respiratory mechanics testing
- Body Plethysmography for detailed lung volume measurements
Cutting-Edge Center of Interventional Pulmonology
The Center of Interventional Pulmonology at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center offers a wide array of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic pulmonary interventions. The center’s specialists provide expert consultations across all aspects of pulmonary and pleural diseases. Among the specialized procedures performed are:
- Pleuroscopy and Pleural Biopsy for diagnosing pleural conditions
- Flexible Bronchoscopy with Endobronchial Biopsy, brushing, washing, Broncho-alveolar Lavage (BAL), and Transbronchial Biopsy for diagnosing lung diseases
- Bed-side Tracheostomy procedures
- Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS) for minimally invasive lymph node biopsies
- Thoracentesis for pleural fluid drainage
- Tunneled catheter placement for managing pleural effusions
- Ultrasound and CT guided biopsies for precise tissue sampling
The center emphasizes collaborative care, working closely with thoracic surgery colleagues to optimize treatment plans and ensure coordinated care for pulmonary patients who require surgical intervention.
Accredited Sleep-Wake Disorder Center
The Sleep Disorders Center at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center is recognized as a VA regional center of excellence, holding accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). The center is distinguished by its robust clinical, research, and academic programs, and is committed to training future sleep medicine physicians. Its state-of-the-art outpatient sleep facilities are equipped to conduct a full range of sleep testing, both in-laboratory and home-based, for diagnosing and treating various sleep disorders. These include common conditions like snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, as well as central sleep apnea, insomnia, periodic limb movement disorder, and other sleep-related issues. The Wayne State University Sleep Program, with the John D. Dingell VAMC Sleep Disorders Center as a critical component, has been awarded the prestigious “Program of Distinction” status by the AASM, further solidifying its commitment to excellence in sleep medicine.
Location and Contact Information
Location within the Medical Center:
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Centers: Second floor of the blue and yellow buildings.
- Sleep Center: Third floor of the yellow building.
Contact Information:
- Pulmonary Clinics/ Firm B:
- Respiratory Care Services:
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
