Leading the way 2018 ANNUAL REPORT National Jewish Health The lungs are arguably the most important organ in the body. Humans can survive weeks without food and days without water, but only minutes without oxygen inhaled through the lungs. At National Jewish Health, we know that when you can’t breathe, nothing else matters. That is why we are leading the way to better breathing for all. CONTENTS Leadership Letter 3 Leading in Care 4 Leading in Education and Research 14 Collaborations 26 Financial Report 34 Faculty, Officers & Leaders 38 Giving 44 Events 54 Honor Role of Philanthropy 63 LEADING THE WAY 1 Michael Salem, MD, FACS Richard N. Baer President and CEO Chair, Board of Directors 2 National Jewish Health 2018 Leading the Way How do you become a leading institution? There are and translational research countless books and articles written about being a leader, scientists are pushing forward, but only a few organizations consistently lead the way. developing new ways to repair and regrow the lung. National Jewish Health work to help premature is the leading respiratory infants survive, thrive and Our flourishing and successful hospital in the nation, and develop. We also explain collaborations with other has been for 119 years. We how our work translates into health care institutions have led the way in research, meaningful change such as in Denver, New York and education and care, always aligning school schedules Philadelphia are leading the seeking to improve the lives with teenagers’ biology, so way toward development of of our patients. How was this learning improves. new business models that help achieved? With an intense bring our unique care to more As leaders, we must also focus on breathing and people. This growth is exciting work toward a goal, and breathing science, a relentless as it expands the number of our goal is simple: to help commitment to our patients, people we can reach and the people breathe better. We are and a vision for the future. opportunities for research. developing new tools to help This Annual Report highlights us and others achieve that In addition, this Annual the many ways that National goal. Our Center for Genes, Report recognizes and Jewish Health is leading today Environment and Health is celebrates the many and will continue to lead in developing new methods generous donors who are the future. In this book, you for genetic investigation and so instrumental in making will see a story about Anne helping biologists uncover our work possible. These Tournay’s long and winding secrets hidden in our DNA individuals and organizations road to a diagnosis and and RNA. Our world-renowned are also leading the way as effective treatment at National radiologists are developing they enable us to continue to Jewish Health, a clinical trial artificial intelligence help so many in need. and the approval of the first technologies to create more As you look through this medication to treat her rare effective ways to diagnose Annual Report, you will see and life-threatening condition. and monitor lung disease. that at National Jewish Health, Other stories within this We are teaching physicians we know where we are going, Annual Report describe how to approach difficult and we have the commitment how we have led the way in and sometimes awkward and the expertise to get there. revolutionary treatments problems such as obesity We are leading the way in for cystic fibrosis and our in their patients. Our basic breathing science and will continue for the next 100 years. Michael Salem, MD, FACS Richard N. Baer President and CEO Chair, Board of Directors LEADING THE WAY 3 Leading in Care Pediatric Pulmonologist Tod Olin, MD, coaches a patient to manage and overcome exercise-induced vocal cord dysfunction. 4 National Jewish Health 2018 Our expertise, our focus and our deep commitment to patients lead to innovations in care that transform lives. Never Give Up Dr. Wechsler sat one-on-one with Dr. Tournay for two Dr. Wechsler, one of the nation’s hours, talking with her, reviewing her medical records, preeminent experts on EGPA. looking at her CT scans and examining her. For two hours, Dr. Wechsler sat one-on-one with Dr. Tournay, Anne Tournay, MD, came talking to her, reviewing her to National Jewish Health medical records, looking at her pulmonologist Michael CT scans and examining her. At Wechsler, MD, for a ninth the end, he agreed. Dr. Tournay “second opinion.” For more had EGPA. than two years, she had “He was the first physician suffered a constellation of who took the time and effort to increasingly severe symptoms, listen to me, and to review my from severe respiratory history, my CT scans and prior distress, to hives, neuropathy, lab work,” said Dr. Tournay. sinus disease and renal failure. She was taking high-dose As it so happened, Dr. Wechsler steroids every two weeks, was leading a trial of a new and had gotten so short of medication, mepolizumab, breath that she needed an for treatment of EGPA. He electric scooter to get across enrolled Dr. Tournay in the the University of California, trial. Dr. Wechsler reported Irvine campus, where she positive results of the trial in was a pediatric neurologist. the New England Journal of Medicine, leading to approval “When my kidneys started of mepolizumab as the first- to fail, I realized I might die,” ever treatment for EGPA. said Dr. Tournay. Although Dr. Tournay was As an expert in rare disorders, assigned to the placebo arm, she suspected that she had she was given the medication eosinophilic granulomatosis after the trial was over. She with polyangiitis (EGPA), also has responded very well to the known as Churg-Strauss medication. She is breathing Syndrome, a rare systemic better; her kidneys are working; inflammation of the blood her skin and neuropathy have vessels. But doctor after doctor cleared up; and she is on a from one side of the country much lower dose of steroids. to the other refused to believe her. Some even laughed at her “I just feel so much better,” said suggested self-diagnosis. She Dr. Tournay. “I am deeply grateful was more commonly seen as to Dr. Wechsler and his staff at a hypochondriac. National Jewish Health and the Felt Research Lab for all they After more than two years have done. I thought I would of unsuccessfully seeking a never feel this good again.” diagnosis and treatment, Dr. Tournay found her way to Michael Wechsler, MD 6 National Jewish Health 2018 Anne Tournay can once again take her dog for a walk after Dr. Michael Wechsler diagnosed and treated the rare disease that had baffled doctors across the country. LEADING THE WAY 7 With the largest adult cystic fibrosis program in the nation, National Jewish Health has enrolled more patients in trials of cystic fibrosis medications than any other institution. Jennifer Taylor-Cousar, MD, MSCS, (right) leads the Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Trials program, which has helped bring revolutionary new medications to patients like Max Winkler (left). 8 National Jewish Health 2018 New Medications Help People with Cystic Fibrosis Several newly approved medications repair malfunctioning Dr. Taylor-Cousar reported in ion channels in the lungs of people with cystic fibrosis the New England Journal of and hold promise to continue extraordinary progress in Medicine that a combination of two medications improved improving and extending patients’ lives. lung function and reduced It could not have happened In recent decades, improved exacerbations among patients without clinical trials at treatment of respiratory infections affected by two copies of the National Jewish Health. and other complications have most common CF mutation. extended the predicted life “In a very short time, we’ve “Fewer exacerbations means expectancy of cystic fibrosis gone from managing better lung function for a longer patients to almost 50 years, complications of cystic fibrosis time,” said Dr. Taylor-Cousar. with some living well into their to addressing the cause of “We know that lung function sixth and seventh decades. the disease directly,” said correlates with survival.” Jennifer Taylor-Cousar, MD, With the largest adult cystic Patients from National MSCS, ATSF, co-director of the fibrosis program in the nation, Jewish Health are currently Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program National Jewish Health has participating in a trial to at National Jewish Health. enrolled more patients in CF determine if a combination “Clinical trials of experimental medication trials than any of three drugs is even more medications conducted at other institution. At any one effective in treating CF. The National Jewish Health have time, there are typically 25 to combination therapy has the been vital to that progress.” 30 ongoing clinical CF trials at potential to help up to 90 National Jewish Health. In cystic fibrosis (CF), a faulty percent of CF patients live ion channel prevents chloride In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug longer, healthier lives. ions from moving out of cells Administration approved the “If you were to start on these in the lungs. This causes the first medication that directly drugs as a child, you could buildup of thick mucus in the improved the function of the likely have a normal life span,” lungs, which provides a fertile faulty ion channel. However, Dr. Taylor-Cousar said. “There environment for repeated that drug was approved for is hope because of these bacterial infections that cause only a very small percentage clinical trials. That’s why I love lung damage and eventually of people with CF who have what I do.” lead to respiratory failure. In the one specific genetic mutation. 1990s, before National Jewish Since then, several medications Health started its Adult CF have been approved that are Program, few patients with the effective for more people disease lived beyond their teens.