A new clinic for interstitial lung disease (ILD) started at UW Health in July of this year.

Held every second Friday of the month in the pulmonary clinic at University Hospital, the clinic is a joint effort by the Divisions of Rheumatology and Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Its primary aim is to provide care for patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARDs) and assist in optimizing the co-management of people with SARDs-associated ILD by rheumatologists and pulmonologists. 

Department of Medicine faculty joining the clinic in future sessions include:

• Kaitlin Bradley, DO, MS, assistant clinical professor, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
• Brian Griffith, MD, assistant clinical professor, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
• Stephen Halliday, MD, MSCI, assistant professor, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
• Trevor McKown, MD, assistant professor, Rheumatology
• Nathan Sandbo, MD, associate professor, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

“A multidisciplinary team allows the clinic to offer patients pharmacy services, respiratory services and time with the physicians all in one appointment,” notes Christine Sharkey, MD, associate clinical professor, Rheumatology. “New ILD screening guidelines from the American College of Rheumatology make this multidisciplinary element more important than ever.”

The photo above shows the clinic’s initiating core faculty (back row, from left): Ann Chodara, MD, assistant professor, Rheumatology; Amy Malik, MD, associate clinical professor, Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; and Dr. Sharkey. They are assisted by (front row, from left) Kelsy Richardson, PharmD, clinical pharmacist, and Laura Zunker, RN, nurse navigator. Credit: Clint Thayer/Department of Medicine.