ST. JOSEPH — Patients with lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis now have access to a new pulmonary rehabilitation program at Lakeland Medical Center in St. Joseph. Led by healthcare professionals who are specially trained to treat pulmonary diseases, the program focuses on helping patients breathe better and improve their overall health and strength.

The eight-week program takes place in a group setting and covers topics such as breathing techniques, exercise training, nutritional and emotional support, and performing daily tasks, among other topics. Sessions are led by a team of healthcare providers including nurses, respiratory therapists, exercise specialists, physical and occupational therapists, pharmacists, and counselors.

“When someone can’t breathe it makes even the simplest activities a struggle,” said Zaundra Lipscomb, Manager Respiratory Therapy. “Throughout the eight weeks we teach participants the skills they need to live and breathe better, encourage them to put these skills to good use through lifestyle changes, and help them set realistic goals so they can make these changes gradually and effectively.”

“We had a vision for starting this program some time ago and have been thrilled with how it’s taken off,” said pulmonologist, Furqan Siddiqi, MD, FCCP. “Pulmonary diseases have a significant impact on patients’ quality of life and programs like this are shown to help people better manage their own condition so they aren’t having to go to the hospital or emergency room as often.”

For more information about the program, call (269) 983-8203.

Spectrum Health Lakeland is a non-profit, community-owned health system serving southwest Michigan and northern Indiana. The healthcare provider offers a full continuum of care and wellness services including three hospitals, an outpatient surgery center, a cancer center and 41 physician practices. Lakeland is a division of Spectrum Health with 30,000 professionals, 4,100 medical staff experts, 3,200 volunteers and a health plan serving 1 million members. Lakeland has been recognized as one of the nation’s 15 Top Health Systems by Truven Health Analytics, part of IBM Watson Health.