Beryllium Program
National Jewish Health has more experience diagnosing and treating beryllium sensitization (BeS) and chronic beryllium disease (CBD) than any other hospital in the world. We emphasize early disease detection, regular follow-up and consultation with local health care providers, and treatment when needed to stop or slow disease progression. We offer diagnosis and treatment for individuals who are exposed to beryllium and consultative services to industries to assist with developing medical surveillance programs to identify workers with beryllium sensitization.
Beryllium Sensitivity Testing
Beryllium Medical Care
The National Jewish Health beryllium team treats more than 500 patients with BeS or CBD each year, and our hospital is an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Designated CBD Diagnostic Center (Opens in a new window).
Our comprehensive diagnostic capabilities include:
- BeLPT testing
- Complete medical evaluation by board-certified specialists
- Pulmonary function testing
- Exercise tolerance testing
- Diagnostic chest imagining, bronchoscopy, lavage, and lung biopsy
Our patients also have access to clinical trials.
Beryllium Medical Surveillance for Companies
The National Jewish Health beryllium team has more than three decades of experience working with employer health and safety teams to ensure compliance with OSHA (Opens in a new window) and Department of Energy (Opens in a new window) standards, uphold worker safety standards and reduce healthcare expenses.
Learn more about Beryllium Medical Surveillance
Beryllium Research
As one of the top research centers in the country, the National Jewish Health beryllium team, working with industry partners, have described how BeS and CBD are distributed throughout workforces in North America. Our researchers have defined the genetic, exposure level, and immunologic factors that result in CBD. This ongoing research includes work on the predictors of who will develop BeS, in order to prevent and treat CBD. National Jewish Health is committed to studying beryllium-related disease from every angle using multiple innovative approaches.
Beryllium-Related Resources
- Department of Energy Former Worker Program (Opens in a new window)
- Department of Labor/Energy Employees Illness Compensation Program (Opens in a new window)
- OSHA (Opens in a new window)
- National Library of Medicine: PubMed (Opens in a new window)
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Doctors
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Richard Kraus, PA-C
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Lisa A. Maier, MD, MSPH, FCCP
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Annyce S. Mayer, MD, MSPH
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Karin A. Pacheco, MD, MSPH
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Kalie M. VonFeldt, PA-C, MS
Clinical Trials
Reasons to Choose National Jewish Health
- The leading respiratory hospital in the nation and the only one devoted fully to the treatment of respiratory and related illnesses
- Ranked #1 or #2 in Pulmonology by U.S. News & World Report for 26 consecutive years
- Ranked in the top 5% of hospitals in the nation by HCAHPS
- Physicians consistently recognized among the best in the nation by multiple services, including Best Doctors in America and Castle Connolly
- Among the top 6% of organizations funded for research by the NIH, providing patients access to hundreds of active clinical trials
- 124-year history of focus on care, research and education serving patients from around the world with lung, heart, immune and related disorders
Finding Care for Sarcoidosis in My Own Backyard
“The providers at National Jewish Health are problem solvers, not symptom solvers,” she stated. “They’re not willing to stop after fixing one problem, they look at the whole patient.”
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