At the fundraising luncheon I attended with Dr. Daley, he emphasized that the new care centers will not be modeled after National Jewish Health. That level of comprehensive support such as respiratory therapy and nutrition services would be far too costly to sustain. While many of us would love to assume those services will be automatically included, it may not be realistic.

From what I understand, although I have not seen official documentation, the main criteria may include a strong pulmonology program, collaboration with infectious disease specialists, following standard of care, a certain volume of patients, and active involvement in research.

This is still an important step forward. Even if the care centers do not initially provide the full range of supportive services, I am hopeful that over time patients will gain access to these resources either onsite or through remote options.

For now, I think the key is managing expectations while still celebrating progress. Most importantly, we can hope that every patient who walks through these centers receives excellent care.

Linda Esposito