Partners to help identify "missing millions" with undiagnosed COPD, and increase access to pulmonary rehabilitation

CHICAGO & MIAMI, April 25, 2023 - VillageMD and the COPD Foundation today announced a partnership to better identify and treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at Village Medical practices.

In the United States, there are 15 million American adults, the “missing millions,” with undiagnosed COPD, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The partners aim to raise awareness through education and outreach campaigns to patients, help identify those with undiagnosed COPD and increase access to pulmonary rehabilitation.

"Patients who are living with COPD struggle with ongoing discomfort, breathlessness, and chronic coughs - and we have ways to help improve their quality of life," said Clive Fields, M.D., co-founder of VillageMD. "Through this partnership with the COPD Foundation, we will help our patients and at-risk populations manage or even prevent COPD through trusting patient-provider relationships, comprehensive care teams, and expanded access to rehabilitation resources."

"The best place to address COPD is in primary care, and Village Medical is a respected provider of quality primary care" said Byron Thomashow, M.D., co-founder and chief medical officer at the COPD Foundation. "VillageMD will help the Foundation identify people with undiagnosed COPD and connect them to therapies to help them breathe better and live healthier lives. We look forward to collaborating with Village Medical's physicians and advanced practice providers to engage our community as we work together to identify the missing millions."

COPD is almost always preventable and treatable. The challenge is that many people with COPD don't know they have it.

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