Respiratory Care
Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic
Helping residents in our region with comprehensive disease care
The Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic (CPHC) at University Medical Center has won top-tier accreditation from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA), becoming the state’s first Center of Comprehensive Care for the rare and complex condition that affects the arteries in the lungs and heart.
Staffed with specialists from LSU Health New Orleans & Tulane University School of Medicine, CPHC offers comprehensive and coordinated care, a multi-specialty team approach, an array of auxiliary services, and intensive therapeutics for patients with Pulmonary Hypertension—a rare and complex condition.
Patients receive seamless Pulmonary Hypertension care, expert nursing support, access to PH research studies, support groups, and inpatient care should hospitalization be required.
Our expert team includes:
- Pulmonologists
- Cardiologists
- Rheumatologists
- Dedicated nurse specialists
- Social workers
- Nutritionists
Other sub-specialists to provide exceptional inpatient and outpatient care for patients living with PH
For referring physicians
We treat patients with all forms of pulmonary hypertension and patients at high risk for development of pulmonary hypertension.
These high-risk patients include those with:
- Connective tissue disease (e.g. scleroderma, myositis, vasculitis)
- Sarcoidosis
- Interstitial lung disease
- History of pulmonary embolism
To refer a new patient to the CPHC, please download and complete our online referral form, then fax to 504.702.5728. To contact the CPHC, call 504.702.5057.
Mission and vision
We have established an accredited, special expertise PH Center of Comprehensive Care at University Medical Center to deliver state-of-the-art care to ALL patients with PH. This center is developing into the premier PH center in the South, gaining an international reputation for excellence in PH care, and expanding our clinical and basic science research programs.
Advantages of PH Center are:
- An integrated clinic model that provides ongoing co-management services with other outpatient clinics. We supply primary and specialty care by extending the scope of services to include advanced care planning and one-stop access to all auxiliary services such as nutrition, respiratory therapy, palliative care, thoracic radiology, transplant referral, etc.
- A streamlined admissions process to increase response time and improve care with available on-site inpatient services
- An academic faculty of multi-specialty physicians from LSU and Tulane
- Working in collaboration and in concurrent care with community cardiologists, pulmonologists and rheumatologists so that patients receive benefits of maintaining strong ties with local physicians and also receiving highly specialized care
- Patient education programs focusing on nutrition, healthy lifestyles, and community outreach to increase awareness of PH
- Research initiatives to advance the study and treatment of PH (click here for our current/recent clinical research studies)
Meet our team
Dr. Matthew Lammi MD, MSCR
Associate Professor of Medicine, LSUHSC
Center Co-directorAfter earning his medical degree at Temple University in Philadelphia, Dr. Lammi completed his Internal Medicine residency, Chief Residency, and Pulmonary/Critical Care fellowship at Temple University Hospital. Dr. Lammi is on the Executive Committee of the Pulmonary Circulation Assembly of the American Thoracic Society and the Research Committee of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. His research focuses on pulmonary hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis, biomarkers of PH development and progression, and the pulmonary vasculature in COPD.
Dr. Lesley Saketkoo MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine, Tulane University
Center Co-directorDr. Lesley Ann Saketkoo is Associate Professor of Medicine in the Divisions of Pulmonary Medicine and Rheumatology at Tulane University. She is an internationally recognized specialist in scleroderma, sarcoidosis, myositis and autoimmune lung diseases including pulmonary hypertension; as such she directs the New Orleans Scleroderma and Sarcoidosis Patient Care and Research Center which spans three medical institutions including University Medical Center’s CPHC. Dr. Saketkoo leads investigations in clinical trials design and implementation, disease registries, as well as identifying patients' priorities and developing research tools with and for patients. She chairs International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies (IMACS) planning committee; and in addition, teaches for Scleroderma Foundation, Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR), the Myositis Association (TMA) and the American Thoracic Society Public Advisory Roundtable (ATS PAR). Dr. Saketkoo's teaching and research also includes applications of mindfulness and yoga in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation.
Dr. Bennett deBoisblanc MD
Professor of Medicine and Physiology, LSUHSC
Co-director of Research, Clinical
Dr. deBoisblanc has been caring for pulmonary hypertension patients for over 25 years and is nationally recognized for his expertise in this complicated disease state. He is actively involved in PH research and has been involved with the development of most medications that are now available for this disease.
Dr. Shigeki Saito MD, MSCR
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Tulane University
Co-director of Research, Basic and Translational ScienceDr. Saito earned his medical degree at the University of Tokyo in Japan. He then completed his residency in Internal Medicine at St Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, Columbia University in New York. He finished his Pulmonary/Critical Care fellowship at Tulane University and then completed additional sub-specialty training in Pulmonary Vascular Disease (Pulmonary Hypertension) at Stanford University in California. His research and clinical interests include PH, acute lung injury, and pulmonary fibrosis.
Monique Brown RN, BA
University Medical Center
Nurse CoordinatorMonique Brown is the nursing clinical coordinator for University Medical Center’s CPHC. Monique has extensive experience as an ICU and community health nurse serving the metro area for more than 20 years. As the nurse coordinator, she is an invaluable member of the team and is knowledgeable in all areas of PH care. She is constantly getting additional training through the Pulmonary Hypertension Association Professional Network, and provides support and education to our patients and to staff.
Paula Lauto RN BSN
LSUHSC
Clinical Research Nurse CoordinatorPaula received her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing degree from Louisiana State University Medical Center in 1989. Upon graduation she began working in the Adult Critical Care Unit in a tertiary care center. In 2001, she transitioned to research nursing, working as a Clinical Research Nurse for LSUHSC-New Orleans in the section of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine. She has 16 years of experience managing clinical research studies with a focus on patients with PH. She is an active member of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association and has been active in the News Orleans area Pulmonary Hypertension Support Group.
Iris Sinceno, CAMA
Medical Assistant
Iris is the medical assistant for CPHC. She has been in her field for over 15 years and at University Medical Center since 2015. Iris is an essential part of our team by giving support to all patients, caregivers and to the staff. Her dedication is evident by her drive to seek continuing education and her willingness to service this community.
Curious about participating in research?
Click here to learn more about clinical studies
PH resources
