Tulane has one of the oldest Cystic Fibrosis Centers in the country, with the first clinic opening in 1958. Tulane's Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program was established in 1993. The first adult program director was the late Dean Baker Ellithorpe, MD, whose influence on the program is present to this day.
The Tulane University Adult Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Program clinic is an accredited Care Center through the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. We are committed to providing the highest quality of interdisciplinary, comprehensive, and patient-centered specialized care for people living with CF.
Our doctors are board-certified pulmonologists and faculty at Tulane University School of Medicine with expertise in the clinical care of adults with CF. We welcome the opportunity to partner with primary care and local pulmonology physicians in Louisiana and throughout the Southeast to advance the care of people living with CF.
For more information, visit www.cff.org.
Any general inquiries can be sent to: cbojanowski@tulane.edu and esheffi1@tulane.edu.
Clinic Information
Address:
4320 Houma Blvd, Suite 603
Metairie, LA 70006
Fax: 504-988-2690
Telephone: 504-988-8600
Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 12:30 p.m.–4:00 p.m.; Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Central Time)
Our Team
As CF is a multi-organ system disease, our CF team includes the following interdisciplinary healthcare professionals:
Pulmonary Physicians and Providers
Our CF physicians and providers are responsible for pulmonary care in both the outpatient clinic and inpatient setting. Our physicians and providers strive to provide optimal clinical care for our patients while conducting research that will increase our understanding of CF and improve the lives of the people we care for.
The Tulane Adult CF Clinic also has a dedicated nurse who organizes clinic and schedules patients, necessary procedures, and follow-up clinic visits, in addition to triaging phone calls. In addition, our nurse verifies insurance pre-certification for clinic visits and ensures that laboratory and imaging orders are scheduled and able to be completed.
Gastroenterology/Hepatology Physicians
Gastroenterologists help us ensure best practices in preventative care with timely colonoscopies and manage the digestive and nutritional problems caused by the disease, such as pancreatic insufficiency, malabsorption, and CF-related liver disease.
Cystic Fibrosis Social Worker and Mental Health Coordinator
The social worker on the care team has an important role in helping people with CF and their families cope more effectively and manage the impact of cystic fibrosis on their day-to-day lives. By acting as an advocate for people with CF and their support network, our LCSW acts as a liaison and provides referrals and resources to promote mental health.
Additionally, social work assessments guide CF patients toward the following:
- Income support
- Housing resources
- Education and college grants
- Help with employment
- Liaison with other agencies
- Financial and benefit advice and how to apply for disability
Registered Dietitian
Our CF dietitian works to provide individualized treatment plans to optimize nutritional status and support lung function and general well-being for our clinic population.
Respiratory Therapist
At least one respiratory therapist (RT) is available at all clinic visits. RTs are responsible for the following:
- Pulmonary function tests (PFTs)
- Sputum induction
- Education on airway clearance techniques (ACTs)
Research Coordinators
As a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) Therapeutics Development Network (TDN) site, Tulane has access to the largest CF clinical trials network in the world. The research studies available at Tulane are both investigator- initiated by our physicians and pharmaceutical industry-sponsored.
We have research coordinators and nurses who work closely with our study participants and physicians, ensuring proper screening, successful enrollment, and eventual completion of research studies.
Subspecialties and Services We Work Closely With
- Allergy/Immunology
- Endocrinology
- Diabetes Education Specialists
- Gastroenterology
- Genetics
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Medicine-Psychiatry
- Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose, and Throat)
- Tulane Specialty Pharmacy
- Urology
Tests, Treatments and Services We Offer
The most common tests, treatments, and services we offer include:
- CF Foundation-recommended and guideline-based year-round care
- Access to clinical trials as part of the Cystic Fibrosis Therapeutics Development Network (TDN)
- Medication management, prior authorization, and optimization
- Comprehensive laboratory services, including:
- Genetic testing
- Sweat chloride testing
- Comprehensive sputum testing and cultures held to the highest CF Foundation standards, with reflex send-outs to National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado, for positive mycobacterial cultures and to the Lipuma Lab for Burkholderia-positive cultures
- Comprehensive imaging, including:
- Chest X-rays
- Computerized tomography (CT) scans
- DEXA scans
- Spirometry and complete pulmonary function testing
- Oxygen flow and saturation testing
- Pulmonary rehabilitation