The Penn State Health Approach to Lung and Respiratory Disease

The lung care team at Penn State Health offers comprehensive care for conditions that affect your lungs, airways and breathing. We treat everything from asthma to lung cancer.

We use sophisticated technology and the latest methods to find and treat lung conditions. And we deliver care with compassion, kindness and respect. As central Pennsylvania’s only academic medical center, we treat even the most complex lung disorders. We offer the leading-edge approaches, including low-dose CT lung cancer screening, bronchoscopy and robotic-assisted surgery.

Whatever lung care needs you have, we can help. You get personal attention from a dedicated team that’s focused on helping you breathe easier.

Complete Care for a Full Range of Lung and Respiratory Conditions

We offer a full spectrum of respiratory care in our clinics and the hospital — from treatment for chronic diseases like COPD or cystic fibrosis to critical care for newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and adults in the ICU.

Our lung care team offers comprehensive testing to find out what’s causing symptoms. We develop a treatment plan using the latest therapies, designed around your unique needs — including pulmonary rehabilitation to strengthen your lungs. Our goal is to help you feel better and relieve symptoms that are holding you back. We also educate you about your condition so that you know how to prevent breathing problems and take control of your health.

Support Groups

Support groups provide an opportunity to share your feelings and connect with other patients and caregivers who are experiencing similar struggles.

Learn more about support groups offered

Why Choose Penn State Health for Lung and Respiratory Diseases

People throughout central Pennsylvania come to us for trusted, comprehensive lung and respiratory evaluations, diagnosis and treatment.

Nationally Recognized Lung and Respiratory Disease Care

Penn State Health offers leading-edge programs and services that meet or exceed strict national standards. You can count on a skilled team, our safe, quality care and the latest therapies. We’re known for:

• Specialists who are recognized for their expertise in the field — many are listed among the Best Doctors® in America
• Our College of American Pathologists-accredited testing lab, which offers the best in pulmonary function testing
• The Cystic Fibrosis Care Center at Hershey Medical Center — one of about 120 centers nationwide funded and accredited by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation — which offers expert care for hospitalized patients of all ages, from newborns to adults
• Leading expertise in chest surgery, including open surgery and minimally invasive approaches such as robotic-assisted surgery and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)
• Minimally invasive bronchoscopy approaches that can diagnose and treat some breathing conditions in the same procedure, without surgery
• Personalized lung cancer risk assessment, screening and recommendations — using low-dose CT screening technology
• Customized Pulmonary Rehabilitation to prevent hospitalization and improve quality of life for people with asthma, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, COPD and other chronic lung disorders

Expert, Team-Based Care Designed for You

Our lung care team of pulmonologists, interventional pulmonologists, cardiovascular specialists, interventional radiologists, respiratory therapists and trained nurses provides complete care.

We make sure you get well-coordinated care that meets your needs. Your team may also include specialists in cardiothoracic surgery, cancer, digestive health, nuclear medicine, social work and more.

Lung and Respiratory Disease Research and Clinical Trials

Lung care experts at Penn State Health are continually seeking new ways to find and treat breathing-related illnesses. We’re researching conditions like asthma, lung cancer, COPD, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, sleep apnea and more. Find out if a clinical trial is right for you.

Conditions Treated

• Asthma
• Bronchiectasis
• Chronic bronchitis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Chronic thromboembolic disease
• Chronic cough
• Cystic fibrosis
• Emphysema
• Interstitial lung disease
• Lung cancer
• Lung nodules
• Meconium aspiration
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Occupational lung disorders
• Pleural effusion
• Pneumothorax
• Pulmonary arterial hypertension
• Pulmonary edema
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Pulmonary vascular diseases
• Sarcoidosis
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Symptomatic mediastinal fibrosis