Mayo Clinic’s Pulmonary Hypertension Program Nationally Recognized

The Mayo Clinic in Florida has been named as a Pulmonary Hypertension Care Center by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. This designation is only awarded to centers that can provide early diagnosis, specialized care options and therapies for pulmonary hypertension, as well as follow-up capacities and clinical research projects. The Mayo Clinic now joins the 26 Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers throughout the country and is the only in the Southeast.

Charles Burger, who directs the Mayo Clinic Florida Pulmonary Hypertension Clinical Program, said that this title is “very rewarding because the association was founded by patient advocates and their families, as well as by physicians and other medical providers who specialize in treating pulmonary hypertension.”

“The association understands that diagnosis of this serious condition is often delayed, sometimes by years. They also recognize that even when pulmonary hypertension is finally recognized, that treatment varies due to lack of expertise. Therefore, the group is recognizing treatment centers that understand how to quickly diagnose and successfully treat the disorder when possible,” Dr. Burger added. “Mayo Clinic shares the association’s impassioned mission to improve care and advance the science and research of pulmonary hypertension to move as close as possible to a cure.”

Pulmonary hypertension is a condition characterized by a significant blood pressure increase in the lung’s blood vessels. The disease mostly affects middle-aged women, and the most frequent symptoms are troubles in breathing, dizziness and swelling in the legs. Pulmonary hypertension disorders affect the lives of 30,000 Americans.

The accreditation is designed to demonstrate clear evidence of a health center’s dedication to making proper diagnoses for PH patients and ensures that accredited programs have the ability to provide the best care for pulmonary hypertension patients following the criteria established by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association’s Scientific Leadership Council and the Pulmonary Hypertension Care Center Oversight Committee.

The Mayo Clinic treats 500 pulmonary hypertension patients each year and offers several proven therapies that include the use of drug agents, surgery and lung transplantation. “I am very pleased the program has been recognized by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association because it acknowledges the dedication that our health-care team brings to the care of our patients and our ability to refine the diagnostic evaluation and research advanced therapies,” Dr. Burger concluded.