Cystic Fibrosis Center

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The Cystic Fibrosis Care Centers at Advocate Children’s Hospital are centers accredited by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. With two locations in Oak Lawn and Park Ridge, Advocate Children’s Hospital's cystic fibrosis teams are dedicated to providing quality, compassionate and evidence-based cystic fibrosis (CF) care.

For over 30 years, the Cystic Fibrosis Care Centers at Advocate Children’s Hospital have been committed to improving the lives of patients with CF. Each center has two full-time board-certified pediatric pulmonologists as well as a comprehensive CF team including dedicated respiratory therapists, nutritionists, social workers and genetic counselors. Physical therapists, Child Life specialists and child psychologists are also involved in the care of patients with CF.

As the CF community works to add tomorrows every day, we expect our patients to live long into adulthood. Our program works to shepherd patients through the transition of care into adulthood while maintaining a family-centered atmosphere for care. In addition to offering access to board-certified adult pulmonologists, Advocate Children’s Hospital has established longstanding relationships with many adult CF Care Centers throughout the Chicagoland region.

The team prides itself on providing a personalized experience for each patient and works closely with families to navigate the complicated world of CF care. At Advocate Children’s Hospital, patients can receive state-of-the-art inpatient and outpatient services close to home.

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disorder that causes the body to have difficulties regulating the key components of sweat, digestive fluids and mucus. Salt and water balance issues cause the body to produce thick, sticky mucus, which clogs the lungs and makes patients more susceptible to infections. It also prevents normal absorption of key nutrients and fats in the intestine, leading to slow growth, difficulty gaining weight and abnormal bowel movements. Cystic fibrosis affects approximately 30,000 people in the U.S. and 70,000 worldwide. There is currently no cure for the disease.

Key areas affected

Lungs / Sinuses
Pancreas
Liver / Intestines

Key symptoms

Difficulty breathing
Sinus infections
Poor growth
Abnormal bowel movements
Wet cough

National Recognition

Both our Oak Lawn and Park Ridge campuses are accredited Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Care Centers. This designation allows us to be connected with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation through the national patient registry, research projects and quality-care initiatives. All accredited CF Care Centers undergo a rigorous yearly review process to ensure CF Foundation requirements are met.

In addition, Advocate Children’s Hospital has exceeded national averages for outcomes in lung function and nutritional status. We have been recognized as a top 10 center nationally for our outcomes. Our centers have received awards from the CF Foundation for quality improvement, patient engagement and community advocacy.

Convenient Access

Our CF providers understand the burden CF care can have on families. Therefore, we strive to provide the best level of care with flexibility for patients, including CF clinics as well as extended-hour sick visits as needed. Care will always be provided by an experienced CF physician, even after hours.

Patient Care / Research & Quality Improvement

Our CF Care Centers are dedicated to helping patients achieve the best outcomes, with a special focus on exceptional nutrition and lung function. At Advocate Children’s Hospital, we also look to focus on research that has clinical relevance. We strive to partner in research studies that will help quickly move science from the bench to the bedside. As an accredited CF center, we provide patients access to studies within our hospital and can also help our patients enroll in various studies throughout the country.

Newborn screen background

When a baby is born at the hospital, blood is taken to test for a variety of diseases. In 2008, Illinois added cystic fibrosis to this screening panel. Even if a mother has a negative screen for CF during pregnancy, her baby may still have a positive newborn screen. Having a positive newborn screen does not mean your baby has CF. It means it is important to follow up at an accredited CF Care Center for additional testing.

If your baby has a positive newborn test result for CF, your pediatrician will get the results. Your pediatrician will then direct you to a CF Care Center so your baby can get a sweat test. At this time, you will also meet with a CF genetic counselor to speak about the results.

Sources: The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation & National Institutes of Health

KidsHealth
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Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
www.cff.org

Boomer Esiason Foundation
www.esiason.org

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Cystic Fibrosis Research Program