Northwestern Medicine Occupational Lung Disease and Black Lung Program
The Northwestern Medicine Occupational Lung Disease and Black Lung Program specializes in the evaluation of lung conditions that have been caused or made worse by the materials you are exposed to in the workplace. The program’s mission is to provide evidence-based, timely and personalized care for patients with lung nodules.
You may be referred to us by your physician if there is concern that your lung disease was caused by exposures in the workplace. We can also offer a second opinion if you have already consulted with another physician.
Types of Occupational Lung Diseases
Occupational lung diseases can be caused directly by exposure to a variety of dusts, chemicals, proteins or organisms, or by your body’s immune responses to these exposures.
These lung diseases include:- Asbestosis
- Bronchiolitis obliterans
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
- Occupational asthma
- Reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS)
- Silicosis
You will speak to a nurse clinician coordinator to schedule your appointment. If you have had any prior scans, pulmonary function testing, arterial blood gases and/or exercise studies outside of Northwestern Medicine, we will ask you to have those records sent to us prior to your appointment. This will allow our team to review your data ahead of time, making your visit as efficient and informative as possible.
You will meet with a specialist who will perform an exam and discuss your prior test results. Together, you will establish a detailed follow-up plan, which may include additional testing or treatment.
Independent Medical Evaluations
Program physicians Robert A. Cohen, MD, and Leonard H.T. Go, MD, perform independent medical evaluations (IME) of patients who have possible occupational lung diseases. An IME is used for workers’ compensation and disability claims. We will provide a report with an informed expert opinion on the pulmonary diagnosis, suspected cause, and impairment associated with the disease, if any. To request an IME, please contact our team at 312.695.1843. TTY 711.
Meet the Team
The Northwestern Medicine team is highly experienced in providing detailed recommendations, state-of-the-art diagnostic techniques and thorough follow-up plans to help ensure you receive excellent medical care.
Meet the Northwestern Medicine Occupational Lung Disease and Black Lung Program Team
Northwestern Memorial Hospital
No. 18 in Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital
No. 49 in Pulmonology & Lung Surgery
Lung Transplantation Program
The Northwestern Medicine Lung Transplantation Program combines leading clinical practice with groundbreaking research in the diagnosis and treatment of all types of severe lung disease. With an active clinical trial program bringing new treatments and procedures to light, our pulmonary physicians offer experience, innovation and expertise in the treatment of complex lung disease.
Patient Education and Resources
To learn more about workplace safety, visit:
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