Here’s how the pulmonary medicine specialists at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center help patients optimize lung function

By Laura Briedis

It takes a network of doctors to work together as a team to provide the best health care for a patient. Nowhere is that more evident than at University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, where everyone works together to provide the best treatments for patients seeking medical care. Highly skilled specialists collaborate on multidisciplinary teams to bring patients the most personalized care possible, through advanced diagnostic and treatment services, including leading research and clinical trials.

Among the many specialists at University Hospitals are pulmonologists, who help care for your lungs, ensuring you get enough oxygen to all your vital organs. During these past two years, pulmonologists have played a chief role in caring for patients with Covid-19.

“I am still busy treating patients with Covid in the hospital, as well as helping patients post-Covid with pulmonary rehabilitation,” says Charles Peng, MD, medical director of respiratory care at UH Geauga Medical Center.

Many of the initial manifestations of Covid involve the upper airway and the respiratory track, where patients often experience shortness of breath or pain with breathing, but the virus is much more complex.

“We are seeing post-Covid recovery patients still suffering from shortness of breath, as well as brain fog and other symptoms,” says Dr. Peng. “The infection itself is only one part, as the bigger issue is the overwhelming inflammatory response the body has to the virus. It is a whole-body disease.”

For those afflicted with Covid, pulmonary rehabilitation helps patients to breathe better so they can be more active and get conditioned, thus optimizing their quality of life.

“Pulmonary rehabilitation helps patients improve their stamina and get back on the right track,” says Dr. Peng. A graduate of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, who did his fellowship and residency at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City, Dr. Peng returned home in 2015 to work as a UH physician, and now leads the pulmonary medicine department along with Dr. Mustafa Abas at UH Geauga Medical Center.

Though many who develop a cough or shortness of breath worry they may have contracted Covid, Dr. Peng says that there are many other lung issues that can cause breathing problems.

He and his staff offer comprehensive care for these complex health conditions, such as bronchitis, emphysema and interstitial lung disease, as well as more routine care for common issues such as asthma.

“I also specialize in pulmonary arterial hypertension, a type of high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and the right side of the heart,” says Dr. Peng.

“There are very few things we can’t do here that require patients to go downtown. We even have a surgeon on staff in Geauga who performs lung cancer surgery.

“We offer a lot of services at the UH Geauga Medical Center so patients can stay local,” says Dr. Peng.

When You Need to See a Pulmonologist
UH Geauga Medical Center has a team of pulmonologists who specialize in lung issues, so book an appointment for an evaluation if you have a persistent cough lasting more than three months or unexplained shortness of breath.

University Hospitals pulmonary experts can help with any lung or breathing conditions, such as:

• Asthma
• Chronic bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Covid-19 Long-Haul Syndrome
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD)
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Interstitial lung disease
• Lung nodules and lung cancer

To schedule an appointment, call 440-468-6493. The UH Geauga Medical Center is located at 13221 Ravenna Road, Bldg. 1, Ste. 3, in Chardon. You can learn more by visiting UHHospitals.org/Pulmonology.