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Lung conditions affect your breathing and can make it difficult for you to complete daily tasks and the activities you enjoy. At St. Francis Regional Medical Center, we collaborate with pulmonologists from Park Nicollet to provide care for lung conditions to help you keep doing what you love.
Our board-certified pulmonologists provide treatments for many respiratory conditions as well as pulmonary rehabilitation programs to improve exercise capacity and personalized treatment for chronic lung conditions.
St. Francis pulmonary diagnostic lab
The pulmonary diagnostic lab assists in the diagnosis and care of patients with breathing problems. Through the use of sophisticated monitoring equipment, the tests will help your doctor determine if you have a breathing disorder, if your current medications are appropriate for you and make appropriate changes in your current medical treatment.
Tests are performed by respiratory therapists and results are interpreted by a doctor specializing in pulmonary medicine.
Pulmonary tests conducted at the lab include:
- Pulmonary function studies.
- Arterial blood gases.
- Methacholine challenge: A diagnostic test/challenge for the diagnosis of asthma or reactive airways. You will be asked to breathe into a machine after inhaling varying doses of a medication. Your responses to the medication will be evaluated. This procedure may take as long as two hours.
- Oximetry (resting, exercise, titrating oxygen with exercise ).
- Spirometry screening (occupational).
- Respiratory medication review.
Your doctor will give you instructions before you come to the hospital for a pulmonary test. Be sure to follow these instructions to help ensure the accuracy of the test.
Pulmonary rehabilitation
If you've been diagnosed with a lung disease, pulmonary rehabilitation can help you stay active and feel better. St. Francis' Pulmonary Rehabilitation program will help you learn about your diagnosis and how to manage your condition to improve stamina and your potential for a more active life.
Participants will take part in monitored exercise and breathing techniques during the 6- to 18-week program. Exercises are tailored to meet personalized needs and abilities of each patient. To learn more about how pulmonary rehabilitation benefits our patients, read Dale's story.
St. Francis' Pulmonary Rehabilitation program is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR), a multidisciplinary professional association comprised of health professionals who serve in the field of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation. AACVPR certification means our program has passed a peer-reviewed accreditation process designed to review individual facilities for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by the AACVPR and other professional societies.
A physician referral is required to enroll in the Pulmonary Rehabilitation program. There is a fee for each session, which may or may not be covered by your health plan. Call your insurance company and ask if outpatient respiratory therapy/pulmonary rehabilitation is covered by your policy.