The MSU CF Center uses a team approach to tackle the complexity of living with CF. This allows us to provide high quality, specialized, comprehensive CF care.
CF Center Coordinator: Theresa Daggett
The coordinator works with all members on the CF care team to ensure that the CF program runs smoothly and making sure that best practice care guidelines are properly followed. The coordinator also coordinates exchange of information with other centers, plans events such as family day and the annual CF walk, and serves as the primary contact person for our center.
CF Nurses: Ashlee Price and Susan Ruegsegger
Your CF nurse is your primary contact and is there to address your concerns, answer questions or direct you to the right CF care team member when discussing a specific part of your treatment plan. If you're not sure who the correct person is to discuss a concern or answer a particular question please leave a message for our nurses. The nurses can also help with:
- Coordinating and carrying out care plans
- Walking through daily threatment plan
- Provide information and resources to help manage your CF
- Educate family members, schools, or other non-CF specialists about CF
- Help with refills and prior authorization requests
- Answer questions about what to do if you are not feeling your best
CF Providers:
- Pediatric: Cassandra Grimes, Rebecca Schein, and Ryan Thomas
- Adult: Cassandra Grimes, Gina Chacon and Michael Masnyj
Your CF providers are experts in CF care. They will work with you, and the other members of our team, to create an indiviualized medical plan. This means the plan is based on your medical test results, changes to your health status, new available therapies and your personal goals. CF is a complex disease that affects many parts of the body differently. Your CF providers are responsible for staying on top of the latest CF care guidelines, new medications and therapies. He or she also collaborates with other health care professionals, including your primary care doctor, when assessing the details and outcomes of your care so that your overall health is at its best.
CF Dietician: Kent Clark
Registered dietitians are trained to assess your daily food intake, growth and your overall nutritional status. They help you work towards your optimal body weight so that you have the calories and nutrients needed to fight off lung infections and maintain lung function. With your personal goals and lifestyle in mind, your CF dietitian can teach you and your family how to adjust your eating habits, recommend dietary supplements and vitamins and adjust your enzyme intake. Your CF dietician can answer questions about many aspects of nutrition such as:
- Enzyme dosing
- Vitamin dosing
- Special diets for those with diabetes or other CF compications
- Feeding supplements
- Bone health
- Tube feeding
CF Social Worker: Steven Edwards
Maintaining your health by taking your medications and doing your therapies can be challenging and affect how you live your life. You may feel overwhelmed trying to keep up with school, work or your relationships, which could have an emotional impact. This is where the social worker on your CF care team can help. Social workers can provide direct guidance to help you navigate your health insurance coverage, make tough decisions about school or the next steps in your career. They can also refer you to specialists so you can get the help you need. They can also assist with:
- Social and financial aspects of living with CF
- Helps you prepare for transitions, such as moving to an adult CF program, going to school and requesting accommodations, or starting a career
- Helps you or your family navigate your health insurance coverage or find financial assistance
- Connect you with community resources and charities in times of need
CF Respiratory Therapist: Wendy Bouck and Theresa Daggett
During your care center visits, the CF respiratory therapist performs pulmonary function tests (PFTs) to measure the air flow and volume in your lungs. This team member also helps you with your pulmonary therapies, which are designed to clear mucus (sputum) out of your lungs, control bacteria and reduce the inflammation of your airways. These therapies involve airway clearance techniques (ACTs) and inhaled or nebulized medications. Your CF respiratory therapist can teach you and your family how to properly take your inhaled medications. They can also show you how to use and care for the medical equipment used to deliver these medications into your lungs. This equipment may include nebulizers, air compressors and oxygen systems. With their help, you will learn how to clean and maintain this equipment while at home or even when you're travelling.
CF Mental Health Coordinator: Steven Edwards
Your CF mental health cooridnator helps facilitate the recommendations for depression and anxiety screening within the CF Center. Thye perform annual recommended screening and follow-up of any concerns that come up. Your CF MHC maintains a list of mental health referral resources. They help the center coordinate evidence-based treatment for depression and anxiety with other providers in the community. They can also assess and council you on the emotional aspects of living with CF and teach you ways to cope with the stress of your disease and how it impacts family and friends. The CF MHC can help you overcome problems with balancing treatments and other aspects of your life by teaching you coping strategies.
CF Genetic Counselor: Samantha Cassisi
A genetic counselor is a health care professional trained in genetics. A discussion with a genetic counselor can help you understand inherited conditions and how an inherited disease is passed on from parent(s) to children. For example, families with a history of CF may learn their risk of having a child with CF through a genetic counselor.