September is Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Awareness Month, a notable time to raise awareness of IPF, and honour doctors and nurses who are helping to improve the quality of life for nearly 30,000 Canadians living with this deadly lung disease.
One of those dedicated health care professionals is Tsawwassen resident Fran Schooley, the clinic manager for the Pacific Lung Health Centre at St. Paul's Hospital.
Schooley was recently nominated by two of her patients as a Kiss IPF Goodbye Champion.
"I was very honoured by the nomination," Schooley said. "The patients are working with you and you hope that it gets through to them, but who knows what you are doing is positive for them, but it validates what you are doing. This is a very difficult disease to get a handle on, so anything you can do to enhance the patients of course enhances what you are doing. It's a two-way street."
As a physician's assistant and patient liaison leader at St. Paul's, she serves as an intermediary between patients and physicians, offering a wealth of knowledge on treatment options and support groups.
She was instrumental in founding the regular IPF support group meetings at St. Paul's - an invaluable resource for those suffering from the disease - and works closely with leading respirologists to identify optimal health care outcomes for her patients.
IPF causes scarring of the lungs, resulting in lung function decline and difficulty breathing. The median survival rate is two to three years after diagnosis. There is no cure.
Fortunately, though, there are eight new research programs at St. Paul's that look at everything from new treatments for IPF to exercise and lifestyle, and how patients can be become more involved in their health care.
A Kiss IPF Goodbye Champion is a Canadian health care provider who has made a positive impact on IPF patients, their families and caregivers through commitment, care and an ongoing desire to make a difference for the IPF community. As part of the program, the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (CPFF) will randomly select one nominee in September to be awarded with a $5,000 educational grant to be put towards advancing knowledge in IPF.
"If, in fact, I do get the grant, it will be amazing because it will certainly help the patients, help the support group and help just get the word out about pulmonary fibrosis, which is just so badly misdiagnosed so many times," Schooley added.
Schooley, with the assistance of the BC Lung Association, will be holding a pulmonary fibrosis patient and family information day on Oct. 21 at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel in Vancouver.
Those wishing to find out more information on the event or to register can call 604-731-5864, email Biagtan@bclung.ca, fschooley@providencehealth. bc.ca or register online at www.bc.lung.ca.
