Stanford Pulmonary Hypertension Program
The Stanford Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Program provides comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients with all forms of pulmonary hypertension. Fifteen years ago pulmonary hypertension was considered to be a uniformly progressive and fatal disease. While exciting new treatments have been developed since then, patients with pulmonary hypertension face a truly life-threatening illness. Care is therefore provided by a team of closely coordinated experts in pulmonary hypertension, including physicians, clinical nurse specialists, pharmacists, and social workers skilled in counseling patients facing life-threatening illness.
Outstanding Patient Care
Linking clinical research and state-of-the-art treatment, Stanford is internationally recognized for excellence in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cardiopulmonary disease. The first heart-lung transplant in the world was performed at Stanford in a patient with pulmonary hypertension. Since then, cardiologists and pulmonologists at Stanford have been at the forefront of new developments in the treatment of cardiopulmonary disease and in evaluating new pharmacologic agents which offer potentially promising therapeutic benefits.
Working in conjunction with the lung and heart-lung transplant program, clinical trials are being conducted, using agents that may function as a bridge to transplantation or as palliative therapy for patients with severe end-stage pulmonary hypertension who are not appropriate transplant candidates.
Patient Evaluation Process
New patient referrals and appointments can be made by calling the Chest Clinic at Stanford: at 650-723-6983 (or 650-725-7061, for all other inquiries).
After the initial consultation a faculty physician will contact the referring physician to discuss findings and recommendations. At the request of the referring physician, patients with major symptoms despite empiric therapy may be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Stanford. Treatment recommendations and follow-up care are developed through close collaboration with the referring physician.
Stanford Pulmonary Hypertension Program Multidisciplinary Team Members
- Roham Zamanian, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Stanford University Medical Center - Juliana C. Liu, RN, MSN, ANP
Nurse Practitioner
Adult Pulmonary Hypertension Service at Stanford
Juliana Liu received her MSN from the University of California, San Francisco, where she completed both her registered nursing and adult nurse practitioner training. She also has a bachelors of arts in Modern East Asian History from Pomona College in Claremont, California. Her primary duties at Stanford involve management of PH patients, physician, nursing and patient education, and serving as a liaison between various interdisciplinary teams caring for PH patients at Stanford as well as in the local community.
- Val Scott, RN, MSN
Clinical Research Coordinator
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Stanford University Medical Center
Val Scott was born in Scotland, where she received her nursing training and an ICU certification. She moved to the United States in 1979 and spent 10 years in critical care nursing at Stanford Hospital before taking a clinical research position with Stanford University. Since then, she has coordinated many research projects in various departments including Radiology, Anesthesia, Cardiothoracic Surgery and presently, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Val is the coordinator of the Association of Clinical Research Nurses. - Allyson Rupp, MSW, ACSW
Social Worker
Vera Moulton Wall Center at Stanford
Allyson Rupp earned her MSW from the University of California, Berkeley and joined the Vera Moulton Wall Center and pulmonary transplant programs at Stanford Hospital in 2003. Her focus is on assisting adult PH patients and their families through illness adjustment, coping, and critical decisions around quality of life. She facilitates the PH support group on a monthly basis, providing care, education, and encouragement. She has presented at national and international conferences on topics including adjusting to chronic illness and manging post-transplant issues.
For more information about PH therapies please contact: Vera Moulton Wall Center Patient Care Overview.
The Stanford Pulmonary Hypertension Program Provides:
Consultation with referring physicians
Treatment alternatives
Individualized medical therapy
Risk Assessment
Access to the most current drug therapies
Access to the clinical trials of investigational drugs
Surgical interventions: lung and heart-lung transplantation, thromboembolectomy
Consultation and coordination with other Stanford specialists