Pulmonary Hypertension

From consultation to complex conditions, VCU Health offers the full spectrum of clinical services to diagnosis and treat pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension, or PH, is increased pressure in the pulmonary arteries. PH causes symptoms such as shortness of breath during routine activity (for example, climbing two flights of stairs), tiredness, chest pain, and a racing heartbeat. As the condition worsens, its symptoms may limit all physical activity.

Although PH isn’t curable, treatments are available that can help lessen symptoms and improve your quality of life. The earlier PH is treated, the easier it is to control.

All In One Place

We have brought together specialists in cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery from our Pauley Heart Center, and pulmonary medicine and specially trained nurses, to develop a fully integrated cardiopulmonary program. Through this program, patients have access to the latest diagnostic techniques, treatments and therapies to manage PH.

Our team of experts - all of whom have extensive training and experience in caring for patients with PH - work closely, creating individualized treatment plans and offering follow-up care. This knowledge and experience gives our patients the best chance for getting the care they need to help them manage PH.

And we’re accredited as a Comprehensive Care Center by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, because we seek to improve the quality of care, and ultimately, the health outcomes of patients with PH.

Our Services

• Outpatient clinics in downtown Richmond and Stony Point
• Medical Respiratory Intensive Care Unit for the management and treatment of the critically ill
• Dedicated inpatient unit with expertise in all pulmonary hypertension therapies
• Cardiac catheterization laboratory that is equipped to perform vasodilatory challenge tests, fluid challenges and exercise challenges
• Cardiologists that read echocardiograms focusing on the right side of the heart (which is a key clinical factor in patients with PH)
• Radiologic imaging including CT angiogram, VQ scans, and MRI of the heart and blood vessels

Our Providers

Jared Dyer, DO
Dan Grinnan, MD
Elizabeth Sonntag, MD
Janet Pinson, NP
Charnetta Lester, RN

Discovering What’s Possible

We believe health care is about exploring the most exceptional ways to improve the health, recovery and lives of others. Engaging in clinical trials research allows our providers to find life-changing treatments and therapies for you. Our providers have led research involving the causes of pulmonary hypertension as well as emerging treatments. We are proud to offer clinical trials so you can have access to existing therapies and potential advancements in the treatment of PH.

Center of Comprehensive Care

VCU Medical Center is accredited as a Comprehensive Care Center (CCC) through the Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers (PHCC) program. Being evaluated at a CCC ensures that your health is managed by highly trained and specialized providers who have demonstrated a dedication to both the proper clinical management and the larger PH scientific community. A PHCC designation means:

• Patients can receive comprehensive care at centers with expertise in PH
• Therapies are appropriately used to improve long-term outcomes
• Increased opportunities for collaboration between Centers for clinical care and PH research

Accredited PH Care Centers contribute to a PH patient registry that can track diagnostic and treatment patterns at a national level, ultimately demonstrating quality improvement for the care of PH patients. Linking Centers through a national network increases collaboration, and helps to develop an understanding of best practices in the treatment of PH, through clinical, quality improvement and investigative partnerships.

Call (804) 828-2161 to schedule an appointment.