VA Salt Lake City Health Care System

Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine

The George E. Whalen VA Medical Center provides comprehensive pulmonary and critical care services to eligible Veterans in VISN 19. In addition to administering care in and supervising the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), we provide inpatient critical care and pulmonary consultative services and outpatient pulmonary consultations with ongoing care to those with chronic lung disease. Our services also include routine pulmonary procedures including pulmonary function testing, flexible bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), diagnostic and therapeutic thoracentesis and thoracostomy tube placement. Please refer to the Service Information section below for a complete list of routine pulmonary services provided at our facility.

Mission

We seek to honor our Veteran population by providing state-of-the-art care in pulmonary medicine with the aim to improve overall health and wellbeing.

Vision

• VA Pulmonary will be the benchmark of excellence and value in lung health care by providing exemplary services that are both patient-centered and evidence-based.
• Care will be delivered by engaged, collaborative teams in an integrated environment that supports learning, discovery and continuous improvement.
• We will emphasize prevention and management of lung disease and will provide state-of-the-art treatment to eligible Veterans.
• VA Pulmonary will contribute to the nation's well-being through lung health education, research and service to our eligible Veterans.

All Requests For Urgent Pulmonary Care Should Be Made By Primary Care

Services

The Pulmonary Division offers a full range of services for eligible Veterans.

Pulmonary Clinic

Our pulmonary providers offer comprehensive consultative services for evaluation of:

• Chronic obstructive lung diseases
• Asthma
• Interstitial lung Diseases
• Neuromuscular Disease (Multidisciplinary Clinic)
• Routine follow up care

Medical Intensive Care (MICU)

• Critical care services (primary and consultative)
• Procedures (intubation, central line placement, bronchoscopy and routine pulmonary procedures)

Inpatient Pulmonary Consultation

• Consultation for acute pulmonary diseases or assistance in managing chronic, decompensated pulmonary disease
• Procedures (bronchoscopy and routine pulmonary procedures)

Procedures

• Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy
• Endobronchial Ultrasound (EBUS)
• Thoracentesis
• Thorascopy Tube

Watch: Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy

Respiratory Therapy

• Pulmonary Function Testing
• Arterial blood gasses
• Home oxygen
• COPD Class quarterly: 801-582-1565, ext. 4289

Key Staff

Service Chief

Mustafa Mir-Kasimov, MD *

Providers

Emily Beck, MD *
Sean J. Callahan, MD *
Barbara E. Jones, MD
Lynn M. Keenan, MD *
Mustafa Mir-Kasimov, MD *
Robert Paine III, MD *
Gregory T. Radin, MD *
Karl A. Sanders, MD *
John W. Shigeoka, MD

Administrative Officer/Service Level Advocate

Kathy Hill, RN
801-582-1565, ext. 3620

Respiratory Therapy

Respiratory Therapy Supervisor
Stephen Sagers, RRT
801-582-1565, ext. 5269

Assistant Supervisor
Ken Becci, RRT
801-582-1565, ext. 5269

Respiratory Therapy Educator
Ann Marie Zezula, RRT
801-582-1565, ext. 5269

Home Oxygen
Eduardo M. Cardenas, BS, RRT
801-582-1565, ext. 5260

Pulmonary Fellowship Program

VA Salt Lake City Health Care System is affiliated with the University of Utah. The University of Utah Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship program provides comprehensive training opportunities for our fellows including rotations through VA Salt Lake City. We believe our fellowship programs foster a learning environment that produces expert pulmonologists with strong clinical and research credentials preparing them for successful careers in pulmonary medicine that will advance the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of pulmonary diseases.

Click here to learn more about the University of Utah Pulmonary Fellowship Program *.

* - Indicates the link directs to an organization's website outside of the VA.