Rosa (she/her) is 57-year-old woman with end-stage COPD and heart disease. She is divorced and lives in an apartment but has no support other than her partner with whom she lives. They don’t have a car, so she has difficulty getting to her appointments. She often calls 911 and has been in the hospital five times in just the last four months for pneumonia, dehydration, and a heart attack.

Rosa’s lung doctor refers her to our pulmonary-palliative care outpatient clinic. Together, we build trust and improve Rosa’s breathing with medications and home oxygen. When Rosa has a COPD flare, we work with mobile paramedics to triage and treat her condition at home and avoid ER visits. We connect Rosa with virtual pulmonary rehab and support groups, and she feels less short of breath, less alone, and more empowered to care for herself.

Meet our partners:
Pulmonary Medicine – Shaun Toomey, MD
Mobile Integrated Health – Laurel O’Connor, MD, MSc
Healthy at Home Study – Apurv Soni, MD, PhD