Cystic Fibrosis Center
The CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Cystic Fibrosis Center is accredited by the
North American Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (cff.org). Our team of physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, dieticians and social workers are dedicated to providing state of the art care to children and adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). The Center is located at the David Goldsbury Center for Children and Families, 333 North Santa Rosa, San Antonio Texas 78207. Appointments can be scheduled by calling (210)704-4100. Pediatric patients are hospitalized when necessary at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital on the 9th floor, where staff nurses, dieticians, respiratory therapist, a school teacher, and child life workers are trained to care for the medical, psychologic, and social aspects of CF. Consultation from endocrinologists, gastroenterologists, ear nose and throat specialists, and surgeons experienced in the care of patients with CF is available on both an inpatient and outpatient basis. Strict enforcement of Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) recommended infection control practices occur both in the clinic and in the hospital.
Our Center exceeds national average measures for median Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile (a measure of nutritional status) for CF patients two to 20 years of age, and mean FEV1 (a measure of lung function) for children six to 17 years and for adults older than 18 years of age. These results have been achieved by close adherence to CFF guidelines for care including the recommendation that all patients attend clinic visits quarterly (every three months) where nutritional and pulmonary status can be evaluated and therapies can be changed to maximize the child’s nutrition and lungs. State of the art therapies and research studies are also discussed at these visits. In addition, our social worker is available to help with insurance and school/work related issues to help each child and family cope with the many challenges, both financial and social, that come with a chronic disease like CF.
While our team can recommend and prescribe many different therapies, the best care comes when there is a strong working relationship between the health care team and the family. The basis of this commitment/partnership is what we like to call The Vitamin C’s-Commitment to Trust, Communication on Truth, Compassion in Suffering, Creative Conflict for Respect, Unity and Harmony, and a Celebration of Life. It is a partnership in health that leads to greater survival rates and an increased quality of life.
No car will win the Indy 500 without having a strong cohesive team cheering and urging that car to victory. Our Pediatric CF care team is comprised of professionals from many disciplines to include pulmonary physicians (doctors specially trained to treat lung disease), nursing, respiratory therapy, dieticians, and social work. The driver of our CF team is
Dr. Donna Beth Willey-Courand, a board certified pediatric pulmonologist from the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio. She has been the leader of the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Pediatric CF Center since 1999. Dr. Willey-Courand’s clinical passion is the care of patients with Cystic Fibrosis. She has been a Quality Improvement Coach for the North American Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) and currently is a member of Clinical Practice Guidelines Pulmonary Subcommittee for CFF. Dr. Willey-Courand has provided expert opinion to the March of Dimes and the Texas Department of State Health Services related to the development of a newborn screening program for cystic fibrosis. She continually looks toward the future with the vision to make the life of a cf patient better.
The Pediatric CF Care team invites our patients and families to join us on the road trip of a lifetime!
