PEORIA, Ill. – Two cystic fibrosis treatment centers in Peoria have received national recognition for their efforts to improve patient care.
OSF HealthCare announced Wednesday that the Cystic Fibrosis Centers at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center and OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois have each independently received the Quality Improvement Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
The annual award recognizes programs that demonstrate a commitment to improving care, treatment outcomes and the overall experience of patients living with cystic fibrosis.
According to OSF, the recognition highlights efforts to involve patients and families in treatment decisions, use patient feedback to improve services and coordinate care across multiple medical specialties.
“We are so proud of our CF team,” said Dr. Heather McLauchlan, director of the pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Center at OSF Children’s Hospital.
McLauchlan said the team meets weekly to review patient data, identify opportunities for improvement and develop projects aimed at providing better care.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disorder that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system, often causing persistent respiratory problems and difficulty digesting food.
The centers’ care teams include doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, dietitians, physical therapists and social workers from OSF HealthCare and the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria.
Together, they provide testing, nutritional evaluations and individualized treatment plans for patients ranging from infants to adults.
Dr. Ossama Ikladios, director of the adult Cystic Fibrosis Center at OSF Saint Francis, said coordination between the pediatric and adult teams is an important part of their work.
He said that collaboration helps patients transition from pediatric to adult care while maintaining access to current treatments and clinical research opportunities.
OSF officials also pointed to advances in cystic fibrosis treatment over the past several decades.
According to McLauchlan, cystic fibrosis was once almost uniformly fatal during childhood. Advances in research and treatment have since extended the median life expectancy to approximately 66 years.
However, she noted that some patients remain ineligible for newer therapies or cannot tolerate them, making continued research and improvements in care essential.
More information about cystic fibrosis care is available at OSF HealthCare.
