Lung Nodule Program Information for Providers

Thank you for choosing the Med Center Health Lung Nodule Program for your patients’ continued care. Our interdisciplinary approach to patient care enables us to offer patients the specialty care and services they need quickly, working with you to ensure they receive they best care possible.

WHAT WE DO

A joint venture with Med Center Health Cardiothoracic Surgery and Western Kentucky Heart, Lung and Gastroenterology, Med Center Health Lung Nodule Program uses the expertise of our affiliated specialists and diagnostic technology to pinpoint and diagnose lung nodules at their earliest stages.

WHO WE ARE

Our Lung Nodule Board is comprised of specialists including:

• Pulmonologists from Western Kentucky Heart, Lung and Gastroenterology
• Cardiothoracic Surgeons from Med Center Health Heart, Lung and Vascular Surgeons
• Oncologists from Med Center Health Hematology and Oncology and Med Center Health Radiation Oncology
• A Patient Navigator who guides and assists patients and their primary care physicians through the process including appointment, testing, lab, biopsy and surgical scheduling and support

WHY WE ARE DIFFERENT

At Med Center Health, we know that each patient’s journey is different. Many of the patients we see have incidental pulmonary nodules that could be diagnosed and treated upon further investigation. Our Lung Nodule Program is dedicated to the quick examination of these and other detected nodules, offering patients hope for early detection and treatment.

The Med Center Health Lung Nodule board meets weekly to discuss patients’ records before meeting personally with each patient scheduled. This enables us to examine each patient and consider a wide range of treatment options that will then be discussed with the patient and their primary care provider prior to further treatment.

As an added benefit, The Medical Center at Bowling Green offers patients access to the comprehensive services they might need, without having to travel, including:

• Diagnostic imaging
• Laboratory testing
• Surgical options
• Therapeutic treatment options
• A Patient Navigator dedicated to helping them through the process

TECHNOLOGY

The Medical Center at Bowling Green is the only provider in the region to offer ION Bronchoscopy technology, with physicians trained to pinpoint the smallest, most hidden nodules before they advance.

Our cardiothoracic team is also able to biopsy or remove lung masses using the minimally invasive da Vinci Surgical System to provide greater precision and shorter healing time.

Diagnostic imaging services at all of our area facilities provide low-dose CT scans for Lung Cancer Screenings. This means patients may complete some of their imaging needs closer to home by visiting diagnostic imaging centers at:

• The Medical Center at Bowling Green
• Western Kentucky Diagnostic Imaging in Bowling Green
• The Medical Center at Franklin
• The Medical Center at Scottsville
• The Medical Center at Caverna
• The Medical Center at Albany

HOW TO USE OUR SERVICES

In many cases, our Patient Navigator will reach out to you directly if we determine an imaging reading suggests an incidental nodule or a nodule found during a screening. Once you have notified your patient, our Patient Navigator will contact them directly to schedule an appointment with our Lung Nodule Program for further investigation. During our initial meeting with the patient, we will determine if further testing or imaging is needed, which we will then schedule and facilitate.

If you have a patient you wish to refer to our clinic, please call Jennifer Finch at 270-535-6886 or email lungnoduleprogram@mchealth.net.