East Tennessee Children’s Hospital

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital (Children’s Hospital) requests funds for the research and development of a Pediatric Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program. Pediatric Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a program designed to benefit children with moderate to severe pulmonary issues. In simple terms, these patients have difficulty breathing. The causative factors are as diverse as our population. Children’s Hospital admitted 322 patients with Asthma and treated 170 patients with Cystic Fibrosis. In addition, respiratory issues are one of the most common reasons for hospital admission, resulting in 5,773 admissions to Children’s Hospital last year. This number does not include other diagnoses that could impact respiratory status including obesity, obstructive sleep apnea, prolonged intubation (mechanical ventilation), Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis some hematology and oncology diagnoses, and neuromuscular diseases. While patients with each of these diagnoses are treated at Children’s Hospital, there is not a program in the region designed to address the pulmonary ramifications of their illnesses.

A Pediatric Pulmonary Rehabilitation program will utilize the existing structures of community programs including Kids in Motion, Healthy Ways, the YMCA, and other local health facilities including the Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation Center to create a platform that directs and adapts existing activities to benefit children experiencing pulmonary issues.