Expanded pulmonary services come to Hillsdale By Melissa McCance When was the last time you thought about the essential function that is breathing? Unless you have a breathing issue such as asthma or COPD, you probably don’t. Only when something like an upper respiratory infection or hot, muggy weather makes it difficult to breathe do generally healthy people think about breathing. But, for those who struggle with pulmonary illness, having skilled care nearby is important. Hillsdale Hospital has recently expanded their pulmonary services, making even more top-flight, specialized care available locally. After several years without it, Hillsdale Hospital once again has inpatient pulmonology care available, allowing more patients to remain in Hillsdale instead of being transferred to hospitals outside the county. This has been especially valuable for COVID-19 patients who often experience severe cardiopulmonary symptoms through the course of their illness. The pulmonologists are available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for inpatient consultation and care. The hospitalists at Hillsdale Hospital can reach one of the pulmonology team members 24 hours a day when they need a specialist’s advice for an inpatient with breathing issues. Along with the inpatient care, the pulmonology clinic offers outpatient services as well. The clinic opened at Hillsdale Hospital on a limited basis in 2015 with services available just one half-day per week. Now, the practice hours have expanded to Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the office is located in the Three Meadows Medical Building. The physician group includes eight M.D.s: Dr. Gregg Patten, Dr. Robert Albertson, Dr. Usama Assaad, Dr. Rami Alzebdeh, Dr. Deane Franso, Dr. Samih Mawari, Dr. Yasser Moussa Aleech, and Dr. Anish Wadhwa. All of the
6 | SIMPLY SENIORS — FALL 2021
