As a clinical bedside nurse at the Temple Lung Center, Melissa Liverpool
often helped patients with later-stage lung diseases deal with their
symptoms. But for the past three years, she’s been involved in a
groundbreaking initiative aimed at detecting lung diseases and other
conditions in their early stages, when they’re easier to treat.
The initiative is called
the Temple
Healthy Chest Initiative, a health-system wide program designed to
provide the Philadelphia and surrounding regions with access to screenings
for lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart
disease, and other chest-related conditions.
Launched in November 2021, the program was created in response to changes
in U.S. Preventative Services Task Force guidelines
that nearly doubled the number of Americans eligible for lung health
screenings covered by insurance.
Under the guidelines, those eligible for screenings include:
• Those who are 50 to 80 years old
• Current smokers or those who have quit within the past 15 years
• People with a smoking history number of more than 20 pack years. (Pack years
are the number of years smoked multiplied by the average number of packs
smoked per day. For example, someone who smoked two packs a day for 10 years
would have a smoking history number of 20 pack years.)
A growing impact
Since the
program’s inception, the Temple Healthy Chest Initiative has offered
low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans to detect lung cancer and other
conditions at an earlier stage. As of October 2024, nearly 10,000 LDCT scans
had been performed, with the pace of screenings steadily increasing each
year.
In September 2023, the program added spirometry testing in response to
guidelines issued by the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung
Disease (GOLD). A spirometer test measures how much and how fast air can be
inhaled and exhaled — a key indicator of lung health.
Including spirometry testing has enabled Temple Health to make people aware
that something mild they’ve been feeling may actually be Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD) symptoms, and helps Temple address a growing global
issue of underdiagnosed COPD.
“A lot of the patients have COPD symptoms such as a cough or a little bit of
shortness of breath when they’re going up a flight of stairs,” Liverpool
said.
Nurse Navigators make the difference
Nurses like Liverpool are what make the Healthy Chest Initiative unique not
only to the Philadelphia region, but nationwide.
The Healthy Chest Initiative relies on dedicated Nurse Navigators, such as
Liverpool, to guide patients throughout the screening process. These nurses
call patients prior to their tests to gather information about their health
and lifestyle, offering resources and support services, such as smoking
cessation programs, virtual and in-person support groups, and other helpful
programs.
Once the imaging and spirometer tests are performed, the same Nurse
Navigator will call and discuss the results.
“Even if their results are normal, we call them just to tell them that
everything’s good and we ask them a few more questions to see if they
qualify for annual screenings,” Liverpool said.
If the screenings reveal a potential problem, they’ll explain the findings
and ask the patient if they would like to be referred to a specialist for
further evaluation.
“We have a team that works with us to get new patient appointments with
specialists at Temple Health,” Liverpool said.
Expanding access and empowering patients
While screenings are available to anyone who is eligible under the new
federal guidelines, a vital part of the Temple Healthy Chest Initiative’s
mission is to reach underserved communities.
From tailoring the messaging of outdoor advertising based on the
neighborhood they’re in, to bringing translators to events like the Penn
Asian Senior Services (PASSi) Autumn Festival, Temple Health is able to
provide services in seven languages to ensure any cultural barriers
don’t prevent access to the program’s offerings.
For Liverpool, a Philadelphia native whose father was an immigrant and whose
mother was born in Puerto Rico, that’s one of many things that makes being
part of the Healthy Chest Initiative so special.
“The good thing about this is that I’m educating the patients,” she said. “I
think the key is to increase education and allow the patient to take control
of their health — and this is one of the ways they can do that.”
Schedule a screening
If you meet the eligibility criteria, the free screenings offered by the
Temple Healthy Chest Initiative are a simple and proactive step towards
protecting your health. Screenings are available at any Temple University
Hospital campus and at Fox Chase Cancer Center.
To schedule
an appointment, call 800-TEMPLE-MED (800-836-7536).
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