New Funding Provides Expanded COPD Care, Resources and Research in South Florida

During November for COPD Awareness Month, the American Lung Association in South Florida and Holy Cross Health are partnering to provide more resources for South Florida residents thanks to a significant donation.

The Catherine Yardley Comprehensive Pulmonary Center at Holy Cross Health was established in loving memory of Catherine Yardley by local businessman Herb Yardley, owner of Massey Yardley CDJRF in Plantation, Florida. Yardley’s late wife, Catherine, was the source of inspiration for a $2 million donation to Holy Cross Health, due to her passing from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). 

" Watching her struggle to breathe was difficult for her family," said Yardley.

During her battle with the illness, Yardley realized there were few resources and specialists available to his wife in South Florida. Thus, he sought to help establish an innovative facility at a local hospital to provide others with the care that he so desperately searched for. 

"COPD is the third leading cause of death and is an unknown and undertreated disease. We hope to begin correcting that by establishing a pulmonary center at Holy Cross Health," said Yardley. 

The Catherine Yardley Comprehensive Pulmonary Center at Holy Cross Health offers high quality, cutting-edge services for those suffering from lung related illnesses. 

COPD is an umbrella term to describe chronic inflammatory lung diseases that can cause obstructed airflow from the lungs, making it extremely difficult to breathe. It is the third leading cause of death by disease in the United States. More than 16.4 million people have been diagnosed with COPD, but millions more may have the disease without even knowing it.

Yardley’s donation provided the necessary funding for Holy Cross to conduct comprehensive research, advance clinically effective treatments of COPD and other lung diseases, spark the creation of a new lab focused on research and education, and allow for several enhancements to the already established bronchoscopy labs.

Through this effort, Holy Cross Health has partnered with the American Lung Association in South Florida to help provide COPD/Pulmonary Disease awareness and relief. The American Lung Association has been aiding in lung health for 117 years, and Holy Cross Health has been named their COPD Community Champion. This partnership is a fitting integration of two committed lung-health organizations that work to save lives with research, education, and now with the opening of The Catherine Yardley Comprehensive Pulmonary Center.

Holy Cross Health hopes to use their new Catherine Yardley Comprehensive Pulmonary Center to make a significant impact on lung health in the South Florida community and across the nation by providing access to their state-of-the-art technology and dedicated pulmonary physicians. For more information visit http://www.holy-cross.com/lungs.