Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine

Breathe better. Sleep better. Live better.

The board-certified physicians of Williamson Health Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine are among the top in their fields. With a strong pulmonary rehabilitation program and an accredited sleep center, our job is to ensure you sleep and breathe easy.

Our pulmonologists treat a variety of conditions including; asthma, sleep apnea, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), lung cancer and emphysema.

"Not sure I could navigate this journey without Dr. Assad. He is wise, has a delightful manner, and tells me everything I want to know. I'm confident in his skill and comforted by his humanness."

Susan

Nationally accredited sleep center, right around the corner

Williamson Health’s sleep center, located at Williamson Medical Center, is nationally accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Our board-certified sleep specialists provide services for insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and narcolepsy.

"Sleep is the restorative phase of the day for the body. The immune system is enhanced by sleep. Sleep also rests some of the vital organs. Your heart rate and blood pressure are lower when you sleep. Sleep is very important for normal body functions like digestion. It is also a critical to how you function during the day. If you are sleep deprived, you can easily lose concentration and are you are also at a higher risk of heart attacks. Sleep is a key part of our body’s normal restorative cycle in order to refresh and restore your body for the day."

aaron Milstone, M.D.

Advanced technology, rapid results

Led by board-certified pulmonologist and sleep medicine physician, Aaron Milstone, M.D., our sleep center not only conducts in-house sleep studies in our four-bed sleep lab, but also offers a convenient, portable, take-home sleep study that may be used when clinically appropriate. Most patients meet with a board-certified sleep specialist before their study and in most cases, results can be available in as little as 72 hours.

Elevated standards for every patient

Our accreditation from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine means we uphold the highest standard of care and use the most up-to-date technology in our field. All of our employees are board-certified polysomnography (sleep study test) technicians.

Lung cancer care

As a part of our Accredited Cancer Care at Williamson Health, our pulmonologists lead a robust lung nodule program which is designed to detect lung cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. Patients who qualify for low dose CT, are at a higher risk for developing lung cancer. With LDCT screenings, these patients can be screened on an annual basis to monitor for any changes that can be addressed if the need for an intervention is identified. Our highly-skilled pulmonologists can perform thoracic biopsy procedures right here in your community. In addition to identifying lung cancer, lung screenings can also identify other lung conditions such as COPD, emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis.

Many insurance providers cover lung screening as a preventive service for adults between the ages of 50-77 who also meet one of these two criteria:

Current smokers who have a 20-pack-per-year or more smoking history, or
Former smokers, who quit less than 15 years ago and used to smoke 20-packs-per-year or more

If you meet the above criteria, initiate a Shared Decision-Making conversation with your physician.

Our lung cancer program has a dedicated lung cancer navigator who walks alongside patients and their families from diagnosis all the way through treatment and follow up. Our navigator becomes an integral part of the patient’s support system by offering their clinical skills to help bridge the gap of communication between providers, assist with educating the patient throughout their journey, and ease the anxieties and fears of the patient during their experience. Our program is designed to offer patients support through every step of their journey.

Intensive Care Services at Williamson Health

Williamson Medical Center is committed to advanced quality care for patients with serious medical conditions. Our Intensive Care Unit (ICU) provides 24-hour coverage for these critically ill adults with a highly trained team of healthcare professionals who cooperate to improve patient care.

A trusted partnership amongst hospital intensivists, other physicians across multiple specialties, nurses, social workers, metabolic specialists, pharmacists and a chaplain provides a holistic treatment plan for complex medical disorders.

Our hospital intensivists are often consulted as part of the team managing around-the-clock care for patients with life-threatening conditions. These physicians are triple board certified in critical care medicine, pulmonary medicine and internal medicine and treat a wide variety of critical conditions including sepsis, vascular, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pneumonia and post-cardiac arrest care.

Working closely with our physicians, our nurses are continually at the bedside to monitor and manage these critically ill patients. All critical care unit nurses stay up to date with constantly changing technology and practices through ongoing continuing education. After two years or 1700 hours of direct critical patient care, nurses are encouraged to and supported in their preparation for achieving their Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) certification.

Our dedicated care teams use their expertise and training to provide specialized, individualized care that often includes innovative techniques and technologies. The benefits to this approach can include improved survival rates, minimized length of stay, fewer complications, reduced incidences of disease and increased patient satisfaction.