Beirut, February 8 2021: The American University of Beirut Medical Center announced the launching of its Post COVID Care Clinic (PCCC) at Hamdi al Zaim Interstitial Lung Disease Outpatient Center. In addition to providing a distinctive long term state-of-the-art multidisciplinary care for COVID 19 survivors, the center will also lead the clinical practice and research on post COVID care in Lebanon and the region.
In light of the ongoing pandemic, the establishment of the Post COVID-19 Care Clinic (PCCC) comes as part of AUBMC’s plan to confront the COVID-19 outbreak beyond hospital discharge. Post COVID survivors require prolonged follow-up since they continue to experience several disabling symptoms from weeks to months after recovery, as the virus can cause a long-term lung injury that might reach irreversible lung fibrosis. Those survivors not only require respiratory follow up, but they also need rehabilitation and psychological support. The PCCC will deliver comprehensive care and treatment that help those recovering from the emerging coronavirus to recover and resume their normal lives.
The newly established PCCC offers comprehensive medical evaluation and management of the pulmonary and extrapulmonary complications, in addition to serial evaluation of the pulmonary functions (i.e., pulmonary function tests, six-minute walk test) and chest imaging. The new clinic also provides evaluation and referral for physical and respiratory rehabilitation as needed, as well as referral for psychological evaluation and support, in addition to, nutritional assessment and patient education (breathing exercises, home oxygen management, nutrition, etc.)
The AUBMC’s medical departments and team of physicians that are joining efforts to provide their services at the Post COVID-19 Care Clinic is led by the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, in addition to the Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Family Medicine, Hamdi al-Zaim Interstitial Lung Disease Center’s nurses and staff, Pulmonary Function Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy and Pulmonary Rehabilitation team, Department of Psychiatry, and Department of Clinical Nutrition.
Given the novelty of the disease, the exact nature of ongoing deficits remains uncertain. The Post COVID-19 Care Clinic (PCCC) will adopt a holistic approach to address the issue of aftercare that is much needed to help COVID survivors recover their health and well-being. AUBMC’s team of physicians, nurses, and healthcare workers are leading the way in their commitment to offer patients the best quality of care reflecting on their motto “our lives are dedicated to yours”.
About AUBMC
Since 1902, AUBMC has been providing the highest standards of care to patients across Lebanon and the region. It is also the teaching hospital for the Faculty of Medicine at AUB (established in 1867), which has trained generations of medical students and physicians, and whose graduates can be found at leading institutions around the world. AUBMC is the only medical institution in the Middle East to have earned the five international accreditations of JCI, Magnet, CAP, ACGME-I and JACIE attesting to its superior standards in patient-centered care, nursing, pathology/laboratory services and graduate medical education.
The Faculty of Medicine has graduated over 4,000 medical students and physicians; the Rafic Hariri School of Nursing provides excellent education for the nursing staff, and the Medical Center meets the healthcare needs of over 360,000 patient visits annually.