PHA Recognizes Loma Linda University Health as Accredited PH Center, 1st in California

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) has named Loma Linda University Health California’s first accredited pulmonary hypertension (PH) medical center.

Loma Linda is now one of the nation’s 12 accredited regional clinical programs, as established by the association’s PH Care Center initiative to raise the overall quality of care and outcomes in PH patients. The accreditation results from a recent review by the PHA’s 28-member leadership council.

Accreditation is based on a center’s overall commitment to PH patients, team of healthcare professionals, and services provided. It requires that programs have the infrastructure and experience to ably manage this complex progressive disorder. PH has an estimated prevalence of 1 to 2 cases for every 1 million U.S. residents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Designated centers must each have a track record of the highest quality PH patient care.

As do all accredited centers, Loma Linda University Health has specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of PH, which has multiple underlying causes and is often misdiagnosed. Because each form of pulmonary hypertension is different, it’s important for newly diagnosed patients to learn what is causing their particular PH.

“The disease has no known cure, but there are multiple medications and therapies that can radically improve a patient’s quality of life,” Paresh C. Giri, MD, director of the Loma Linda University Health Pulmonary Hypertension Program, said in a news release. Giri joined Loma Linda in 2012.

Join the PH forums: an online community especially for patients with pulmonary hypertension.

“We work tirelessly to walk this journey with our patients, providing comprehensive, state-of-the-art care,” Giri added. “This accreditation reaffirms the fact that our program uses the most cutting-edge technology available, but still brings a personalized structure to the patients.”

With more than 16,000 employees, Loma Linda treats 1.5 million outpatients annually, and is the sole top-level trauma center for a region that covers more than 25 percent of California. It operates six hospitals, a physician practice corporation, and runs remote clinics across the nation’s western states.

For more information about Loma Linda and to find other PHA accredited PH care centers in the United States, please visit this link. The PHA goal is to provide education, support, and ultimately to extend and improve the lives of those affected by PH.