Fishman Program for Home Assisted Ventilation

Home assisted ventilation programs offer specialized care for adults who need mechanically assisted breathing treatment at home to live independently. At the Penn Medicine Fishman Program for Home Assisted Ventilation, our motto is breathing is everything. We are one of the most advanced centers in the U.S., offering adult patients coordinated treatment for chronic respiratory failure.

The program began in 2017 with a generous gift from Jay and Randy Fishman and their friends. They had a vision of a multidisciplinary program devoted to helping adults who need long-term noninvasive ventilation live safely and productively at home.

We offer patients like Freddy Loinaz-Lopez, an aspiring musician living with muscular dystrophy, the opportunity to receive treatment at home so they can live life to the best of their abilities.

Watch Freddy's Music Video, and learn more about his story.

A ventilator is a mechanical device that uses positive pressure to restore normal respiration by boosting weak breathing muscles. Most patients use a home ventilator to rest their breathing muscles while sleeping. Some patients also use one for breathing assistance during the day.

Not long ago, many patients with chronic respiratory failure had to stay in a hospital or long-term care facility to get this type of respiratory support. Many required a tracheostomy, a procedure that creates an opening in a person’s windpipe to help air reach the lungs.

Recent dramatic advancements in noninvasive ventilation for home use have changed that. Patients can now get breathing assistance through a face mask attached by a flexible tube to a home breathing machine no larger than a lunchbox. Even people with severe respiratory muscle weakness can often get the right breathing support with home ventilation, avoiding the need for tracheostomy.

Home-assisted ventilation improves sleep at night and helps patients breathe more comfortably and be more active during the day. Many home ventilators are portable, so patients can take them anywhere.

Home assisted ventilation is helping more and more patients live longer and thrive at home. The Fishman Program is a national leader in home ventilation and the first program of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic. When you come to us for home assisted ventilation, you’ll find:

• National leaders in home breathing support: As one of the most comprehensive programs in the nation and the first in the Mid-Atlantic, we have years of experience helping adults who benefit from mechanically assisted breathing at home. Our physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists are trained in the latest technology. We work together to find the right breathing support for every patient. We’re also at the forefront of training the next generation of home ventilation specialists.
• Extensive home breathing treatment options: Our experts create customized treatment plans for people with respiratory conditions who need breathing assistance. We provide a full range of home ventilators, cough assist devices, oxygen concentrators, and suction machines so that you get exactly the right support.
• Transitional care for young adults: More and more patients with severe congenital respiratory conditions are now living well into adulthood. We work with pediatric specialists at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to transition these patients to adult care. Patients who turn 18 have seamless, immediate access to our adult respiratory care team. We are one of the only child-to-adult transitional care programs for chronic respiratory patients in the nation.
• Coordinated care for adult respiratory conditions: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease of adults that takes a person’s breath away as muscle weakness advances. Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) is the third leading disease cause of death in the U.S. Our pulmonology team works closely with experts in both diseases at Penn Medicine to improve quality of life and increase life expectancy.
• Telemedicine and telemetry options: Traveling to frequent office visits can be difficult for people who need breathing support. Our team uses remote monitoring technology to assess your condition while you’re at home. We stay in close contact with patients via telemedicine and phone follow-up between office appointments.
• Comprehensive support: Patients with complex respiratory diseases often have complex needs. Our team includes nurse coordinators, respiratory therapists, speech-language pathologists, and social workers who specialize in helping people who use home assisted breathing. They’re here to support you with everything from scheduling appointments and navigating insurance to setting up your respirator and navigating swallowing issues.

There are more options for home breathing machines and face masks than ever before. At the Fishman Program, we offer highly customized treatment plans using the most advanced technology. Home breathing machines are often used with other devices like cough assist devices and home suction machines to prevent infection.

At your first appointment, we conduct a thorough assessment of your respiratory symptoms and function. We’ll talk about your preferences and goals. Then we create an individual treatment plan for follow-up and ongoing breathing support.

We teach you, your family members and your caregivers how to properly use your home breathing equipment. Our goal is to maximize your comfort, sleep and safety. We also make sure you and your caregivers know when to call your treatment team to prevent a respiratory crisis that might send you to the hospital.

Patients with chronic neuromuscular conditions, COPD and spinal cord injuries often see multiple specialists. We coordinate care with specialists inside and outside Penn Medicine to ensure you get the best care for your respiratory condition.

As one of the only treatment facilities offering this level of care with home ventilators for breathing, we see patients from all over the region, including:

• Eastern Pennsylvania
• Delaware
• Maryland
• New Jersey
• New York City area

If you live outside of these areas, we still may be able to help you. Please contact us for more information.