Welcome to the Temple Lung Center

Temple University Hospital
has been ranked again
as one of the nation's top hospitals
for respiratory disorders
by U.S.News & World Report

The Temple Lung Center delivers the most advanced and effective treatments to patients with the most challenging respiratory disorders and pulmonary diseases. Our pulmonologists, critical care physicians, and surgeons are experts in diagnosing and treating all types of lung problems, from the most basic to the most complex and severe. And we treat patients with all stages of pulmonary disease, even those with long-standing respiratory problems. The Temple Lung Center combines excellence, innovation, and thoughtful patient-centered care to help patients breathe easier, live longer, and enjoy a better quality of life.



A National Leader in Patient Care, Research, and Education

The Temple Research Edge

Documented Superior Outcomes

Customized Care for Every Patient

A National Leader in Patient Care, Research, and Education
"Temple is a thriving center of excellence in respiratory care."

We are one of the nation’s largest referral centers for lung disease. We see over 9,000 patients every year. In addition to seeing more than 2,000 outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) annually, we admit more COPD inpatients than any other single hospital in the state and manage more cases of respiratory failure than any other hospital in Eastern or Central Pennsylvania¹. Over the past five years, we handled more cases of complicated bronchitis and asthma than any other Pennsylvania hospital¹. Seeing so many patients helps our doctors develop a specialized knowledge built on years of experience that gives our patients the best chance for getting the treatment and care to help them feel better and live longer.

The Temple Research Edge
"We are always looking for better ways to help our patients."
Temple has one of the most active pulmonary research programs in the country. We have participated in over 50 COPD trials. We have led investigations into the causes of chronic diseases including emphysema, alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, asthma, pulmonary hypertension, sarcoidosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and sleep apnea and we have also led the search for safer and more effective therapies for these conditions. Our team has published hundreds of articles on all types of lung diseases. Every year, Temple physicians present dozens of research papers at national pulmonary society meetings. Engaging in clinical trials allows the Temple staff to find the best new treatments for their patients.

Our patients benefit from research. Some patients gain access to new treatments. This is, for example, how many of our seriously ill emphysema patients have gained much-needed symptom relief from lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS), which we were the first to study in a prospective randomized fashion². Participating in Temple clinical trials also offers our patients practical benefits in terms of thorough examinations; extra support with medications, oxygen, and rehabilitation; and extra advice from a large team of specialists. Most importantly, patients derive a personal satisfaction knowing the results could help others who have a health problem.

Documented Superior Outcomes
"The Temple Lung Center excels in helping seriously ill patients."
Our results speak for themselves. The Temple Lung Center is rated by U.S.News & World Report as one of the top programs in the nation for pulmonary disorders³. It also received the HealthGrades Pulmonary Care Excellence Award⁴. Here are just a few highlights of our strengths and accomplishments (others are detailed in the descriptions of specific Programs):

• Temple’s ventilator rehabilitation unit is nationally recognized for offering patients with advanced lung disease and respiratory failure the greatest hope of being weaned off a ventilator. Medicare recognizes us for how well we care for lung patients requiring hospitalization and mechanical ventilation.
• Temple’s mortality rate for pneumonia—one of the most common reasons for hospital admission—was significantly lower than the expected rate; Temple was the only hospital in Philadelphia (and one of only two in the state) to achieve this lower-than-expected rate¹.
• Mortality rates for seriously ill COPD patients at Temple have been consistently low (e.g., a rate of 0.2% over the past two years compared to an expected rate based on patient risk of 0.7%)¹.
• Temple is one of the regions most experienced centers for lung transplant, lung volume reduction surgery, and other major lung operations. We have also garnered national recognition as being among the most innovative in the country.  The Lung Volume Reduction Surgery Program received the Joint Commission’s certification of distinction⁵.
  
  

Customized Care for Every Patient
"We have extensive training in caring for patients exactly like you, and it shows."
Growing recognition of the Temple Lung Center’s quality care has prompted more patients to come to Temple. To meet this growing demand, Temple has expanded its staff and moved into a spacious new facility. The new facility was designed with close attention to the unique needs of our patients—for example, with oxygen hookups throughout the facility, with carpet-free flooring for easy wheelchair access, and with an on-site rehabilitation center. The spacious facility allows our patients to get all their care in one convenient location.

Every patient coming to Temple will be seen by a board-certified pulmonologist who, based on a comprehensive patient evaluation and diagnosis, will clearly explain the best treatment options and then coordinate the whole treatment plan. From the initial visit through follow-up, the Temple staff is committed to getting to know each patient’s concerns and then creating an appropriately individualized and comprehensive care plan. We are committed to giving all our patients comfort, answers, options, and results.

Sources
1 Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council (PHC4) 2006 Hospital Performance Report (2007)
2 Criner GJ et al. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1999;160:2018-2027 
3 U.S.News & World Report, Best Hospitals survey, 2008
4 HealthGrades Hospital Quality Report: Temple University Hospital, Pulmonary Care Excellence Award 2006, 2007 report, 10/29/2007
5 The Joint Commission Certification Programs: Lung Volume Reduction Surgery, 7/18/2006

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