Adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) have special healthcare needs. The Center for Cystic Fibrosis at USC University Hospital meets these needs with high-quality, specialized care in single, centralized location – providing convenient, one-stop access to leading-edge diagnosis, treatment and research aimed at extending the length and quality of life for people with CF who are 18 or older.

In fact, our comprehensive hospital-based clinic is one of only a handful of adult CF centers in the entire state accredited by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This means that as children with CF transition into adulthood, we provide a seamless continuation of the multi-disciplinary team approach to healthcare that may have benefited them in the pediatric setting. It also means we’ve met rigorous standards for the age-appropriate care as set forth by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Established in 1992, the Center for Cystic Fibrosis at USC University Hospital takes an evidence-based approach to CF care, which integrates the best research evidence with outstanding clinical expertise. As a result, our Center earns national recognition for the caliber of its adult CF care, including physician awards for excellence from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Plus, we are one of only 14 centers in the U.S. selected by the CF Foundation for its Learning and Leadership Collaborative 4, a year-long initiative to develop quality improvement standards for the care of CF patients.

Since our dedicated team members see each CF patient at least once every three months, it gives us the opportunity to really know our patients as individuals, tailor the care we provide to meet their unique needs and, ultimately, help them to live full lives.

At the Center for Cystic Fibrosis, our focus is first and foremost on our patients. With the depth and breadth of leading-edge diagnostic, treatment and research capabilities available here for adults with CF, we are able to tailor our care to each patient’s individual needs. Here is an overview of the resources we offer in a modern and comfortable environment:

A Multidisciplinary Healthcare Team
Comprehensive and Convenient Services
Infection Control
Immediate Access to the Transplant Team
Living Lung Donor Capabilities
Access to the Latest Research


A Multidisciplinary Healthcare Team

CF is a complex disease that presents many health challenges, which, in turn, require care from many different specialists. We bring this multidisciplinary expertise together in one place, providing you with streamlined, one-stop access to a comprehensive and compassionate healthcare team:

• Medical team members include two nurses who specialize in CF, a pulmonologist (a doctor who specializes in lung disease), endocrinologists (doctors who work with patients who have CF-related diabetes), and gastroenterologists (doctors who work with patients on CF-related digestive problems).
• A full-time clinical social worker provides support and guidance for managing the psycho-social aspects of CF, such as personal, family, workplace or insurance issues.
• Because CF affects the pancreas in most patients, they are unable to absorb enough nutrients to grow and thrive. A nutritionist (dietary expert) helps patients optimize their nutritional intake.
• As medication is a crucial part of CF treatment, a pharmacist is an integral part of the healthcare team. Our registered pharmacists, have extensive knowledge about medication therapy and antibiotic treatment options. A pharmacist meets with every Center patient at every visit.
• Respiratory therapists are also an integral part of the team, providing hands-on treatment and instruction on various forms of airway clearance. In addition, the Respirator specialist regularly measure and monitor each patient’s lung function.

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Comprehensive and Convenient Services

Numerous other important services also are available at the Center:

• Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) are performed regularly on CF patients to evaluate how their lungs are functioning. Our patients can have these tests right here in our clinic in the PFT lab.
• Regular blood tests also are part of living with CF. They are used to check for infections, nutrition status, vitamin levels, diabetes, and kidney or liver disease, and to monitor the body’s response to infection treatment.
• For patient convenience, lab test may be obtained in clinic or in the main hospital building adjacent to our facility.
• Patients can fill prescriptions at an independent pharmacy located on campus eliminating the time and hassle of traveling elsewhere.
• A wealth of on-site educational resources provide guidance about daily care, insurance coverage and other issues affecting adults with CF.

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Infection Control

Lung infection is a serious risk for people with CF. For our patients’ safety, we have strict infection control procedures in place to help minimize the risk of acquiring an infection during a clinic visit. For example:

• Exam rooms are cleaned and sanitized by our own staff after every patient.
• To reduce the risk of cross-contamination, CF patient visits are staggered to allow rapid check-in and then they are immediately escorted into an examination room.
• All CF patients are asked to wear masks while at the Center.
• Disposable, one-time use items are utilized whenever possible.

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Immediate Access to the Transplant Team

The growing success rate of lung transplants has made this procedure a treatment option for some patients with severe CF. As part of a major academic medical center with its own transplant program, the Center for Cystic Fibrosis at USC University Hospital can streamline access to the transplant team for appropriate patients.

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Living Lung Donor Capabilities

With advances in medical science, a “living donor” lung transplant, known as lobar lung transplantation, is possible today. This procedure may be an option for some patients. The Center for Cystic Fibrosis at USC University Hospital is one of only a handful of adult CF programs in the U.S. to offer lobar lung transplantation.

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Access to the Latest Research

Through scientific research, an arsenal of remedies to treat CF has been developed in just the past decade, and today there are more than 25 promising new therapies in different stages of clinical trials or laboratory development. Our Center is actively involved in research, participating in CF Foundation-sponsored clinical trials as well as studies of our own. To learn more about the Cystic Fibrosis clinical trials underway at the Center for CF at USC University Hospital, please call 1-888-700-5700.

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For a physician referral, call 1-888-700-5700.