California Pacific has been an accredited Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation Center for pediatric and adult care for many years under the directorship of Karen Hardy, M.D. However, last year, Noreen Henig, M.D. and Christopher Brown, M.D., as co-directors, launched California Pacific’s Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center and received independent accreditation from the CF Foundation.

With the availability of advanced medical therapies and diagnostic technology, CF patients are living longer, healthier lives. Historically, CF symptoms appear in the first year or two of life, but now nearly 10% of newly diagnosed patients are over 18 years of age. The average life expectancy is 38 years old, with patients even living into their seventies. CF affects the mucus in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, causing obstruction of the airways of the lungs and parts of the liver and intestines. The Adult CF Center provides state-of-the-art medications and treatments that improve the longevity and quality of a CF patient’s life. Currently the Center sees approximately 40 adult patients. “CF is no longer a disease of young children,” states Dr. Henig. “Patients with CF live longer with very healthy, fulfilled lives.” Because CF doesn’t just affect the lungs, the Adult CF Center works very closely with other specialists at California Pacific to provide complete care. The team of health care professionals includes pulmonologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, radiologists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, infectious disease specialists, palliative care specialists, psychologists, nutritionists, social workers, and respiratory therapists.

What the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Center Offers

The Adult CF Center is part of California Pacific’s Advanced Lung Disease Program. In addition to CF, the Program provides care for patients with non-CF bronchiectasis, alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, pulmonary hypertension, interstitial lung disease, and advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dr. Henig has been the medical director of California Pacific’s Advanced Lung Disease Program since it began nearly three years ago. Previously, she was the director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Center and associate director of the Heart-Lung and Lung Transplantation at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto.

Breathe easier, for more information on Adult CF Center, contact the Advanced Lung Disease Program at 415-923-3421.