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Mercy offers region’s first COPD clinic

Marcia Godwin of Springdale speaks about her experience using Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital's new chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) clinic. This new clinic, the first of its kind in Cincinnati, is an

Staff photo by Samantha Grier Marcia Godwin of Springdale speaks about her experience using Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital's new chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) clinic. This new clinic, the first of its kind in Cincinnati, is an "all-in-one" resource for COPD patients, providing regular monitoring by a team of specialists.

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By Kelsey Cano, Staff Writer 7:32 PM Wednesday, December 7, 2011

FAIRFIELD — Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital is home to the first Cincinnati area Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease clinic, where patients receive an “all-in-one” resource center for their medical needs.

“We saw a need in the city of Fairfield and the Tri-State area — COPD is really prevalent,” said Amanda Rumpke, an acute care nurse practitioner and co-founder of the clinic.

In the U.S., more than 12 million adults have COPD and Ohio has one of the highest COPD death rates, according to Mercy Health and the Centers for Disease Control. In 2009, there were 6,646 deaths from COPD in Ohio, said Shannon Libby, spokeswoman with the Ohio Department of Health.

COPD is a lung disease that causes problems with breathing. It includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, where tobacco use is the main factor in the development of the disease. About 4.2 percent of current smokers have COPD and 2.7 percent are former smokers, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Other factors - including asthma, exposure to air pollutants, genetics and respiratory functions - can also play a role, as .7 percent of COPD patients have never been a smoker.

With COPD patients easily fatigued and often on oxygen, Rumpke said the goal behind opening the clinic was to have everything a COPD patient may need in one place, since it’s often difficult for patients to get around. Other COPD symptoms include shortness of breath, a frequent cough, wheezing and lung infections.

Martia Godwin knows first-hand how debilitating COPD can be. Diagnosed about 13 years ago through her family doctor, she’s currently in the third of four stages of the disease. She’s on oxygen, does rehabilitation therapy three times a week and sees a doctor every three months.

When a patient, like Godwin, comes to the clinic, they spend about two hours with several health professionals, including time with a nurse practitioner, a doctor and a pharmacist, Rumpke said. Each extensively goes over the patients records, offers education on the disease and the pharmacist may adjust medications.

“We know COPD is progressive, but we also know lifestyle modifications improve patient outcomes. We believe we can slow the progression of the disease,” Rumpke said.

While monitoring the progression of the patients’ COPD, which is gradually develops over time, the clinic’s staff also monitors their mental health through quality of life questionnaires, as patients often suffer from depression, Rumpke said.

The clinic has about 75 patients and draws from as far as Indiana and Kentucky, she said.

“Our overreaching goal is to improve quality of life, decrease hospital visits and decrease time between exacerbations,” Rumpke said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 483-5237 or Kelsey.Cano@coxinc.com.

COPD death rates in Ohio in 2009

Ohio: 6,646 deaths

Butler County: 198

Warren County: 90

Hamilton County: 439

Source: Ohio Department of Health

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