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WVU Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine partners with American Thoracic Society to improve respiratory care in West Virginia

WVU Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine partners with American Thoracic Society to improve respiratory care in West Virginia

The West Virginia University School of Medicine’s Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine recently established a major partnership with the American Thoracic Society to advance data-driven quality improvement and implementation strategies for patients with respiratory diseases in West Virginia and Appalachia.

This collaboration brings national attention to WVU’s efforts to address longstanding disparities in respiratory and sleep health through innovative, evidence-based approaches.

ATS Vaccine Initiative
The initial project is participation in the ATS Vaccine Initiative, a national collaborative initiative designed to improve vaccination rates for routine adult immunizations among high-risk populations. The ATS Vaccine Initiative is supported by an estimated $55.5 million in funding over five years from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Council of Medical Specialty Societies’ Specialty Societies Advancing Adult Immunization Program.

ATS was selected as one of only seven specialty organizations nationwide to receive this funding. WVU was subsequently chosen as one of eight health systems funded by ATS to implement and evaluate interventions in pulmonary subspecialty clinics aimed at increasing vaccination rates for influenza, pneumococcal disease and COVID-19 among individuals with chronic respiratory disease.

The ATS Vaccine Initiative team at the WVU School of Medicine includes:

Expanding National Impact
Dr. Stansbury emphasized the importance of this work and its broader implications.

“The outstanding work of our multidisciplinary team has brought national visibility to WVU and paved the way for deeper collaboration with the American Thoracic Society,” he said. “We are also grateful for the exceptional support provided by the ATS Evidence Dissemination Team, led by Amy Stern, whose guidance has been invaluable.”

Building on this success, the WVU School of Medicine has received additional ATS funding for several new initiatives.

National Vaccine Implementation Project
This newly funded project will test interventions to improve vaccine uptake across pulmonary specialty clinics nationwide, with WVU serving as a mentor site for newly participating health systems.

This effort will be led by Dr. Stansbury, Dr. Ahmed and Vishal Deepak, M.D., also from the Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. It is further supported by Nicole Stout, DPT, CLT-LANA, FAPTA, from the WVU Cancer Institute and Dr. Rudisill.

Bronchiectasis Care Gap Initiative
Another ATS-funded Initiative will focus on identifying and addressing care gaps in the recognition and management of bronchiectasis, a chronic lung disease that is frequently underdiagnosed nationally.

This project is led by Sunil Sharma, M.D., and Srinivasa Potla, M.D., and is expected to have a particularly strong impact in West Virginia, where respiratory disease burden remains among the highest in the country.

Improving Primary Care Engagement in Sleep Apnea
A third project will focus on improving primary care engagement in the diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Nearly 80% of all OSA cases remain undiagnosed, and prior WVU research has demonstrated substantial underdiagnosis in West Virginia.

The project is led by Stansbury and Eddie Rojas, M.D., also from the Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.

“This funding is especially timely as advances in available OSA treatments over the past several years have expanded patient options and reduced previous barriers to care,” Dr. Rojas said.

Improved identification and treatment of OSA is critically important in West Virginia, given its strong associations with highly prevalent respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders and mental health conditions.

A Model for Reducing Health Disparities
ATS is the world’s leading medical society dedicated to advancing global respiratory health through research, education, multidisciplinary collaboration and advocacy. West Virginia and the broader Appalachian region experience some of the most severe disparities in respiratory and sleep health in the United States.

This partnership not only aims to improve care for one of the nation’s most disadvantaged patient populations, but also generates real-world evidence on care gaps and effective strategies to address them—insights that can be applied nationally.

"This major ATS grant is a testament to the cutting-edge clinical research being conducted within the WVU Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. It reflects our ongoing commitment to advancing respiratory health and improving outcomes for patients across West Virginia and the Appalachian region,” Dr. Sharma said.

Institutional Support
Stansbury emphasized that these initiatives would not have been possible without the strong institutional support provided at the WVU School of Medicine and WVU Medicine.

“This partnership came together because of the commitment and leadership of Dr. Nate Lerfald, Chair of the Department of Medicine; Dr. Clay Marsh, Vice President WVU Health Sciences, Dr. Kevin Halbritter, Vice President of Population Health; Dr. Mike Edmonds, Chief Medical Officer of WVU Health System; and Mike Grace, President and CEO of WVU Hospitals,” he said. “This work sets the stage for future funding and initiatives that will address critical health issues in West Virginia and highlight the exceptional talent at WVU as a national leader in rural health care delivery.”

To learn more about the Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at WVU, visit the division website.