Division of Chest and Critical Care
The Division of Chest and Critical Care provides expert care for a broad spectrum of pulmonary disease and sleep issues. Our pulmonary specialists diagnose and manage benign and malignant conditions, including thromboembolic disease, interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary hypertension. Our intensivists also provide 24/7 in-house coverage at Scripps hospitals, serving adult medical-surgical ICU populations including transplants, cardiothoracic surgery, neurology/neurosurgery, and level 1 trauma. A number of our pulmonologists work in collaboration with Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center to diagnose and treat lung cancer, including interventional pulmonology.
We also work with patients suffering from sleep disorders of varying complexities. Our team is on staff at the Viterbi Family Sleep Center, one of the nation’s most historied sleep centers, where they provide multidisciplinary care dedicated to comprehensive diagnosis and management of all sleep disorders. Our practitioners offer extensive home and inpatient diagnostics to identify and, where possible, begin to treat, sleep apnea, insomnia, restless legs syndrome (RLS), and other neurologically-based sleep issues such as narcolepsy and circadian rhythm abnormalities. We also provide non-invasive ventilator support for patients with chronic respiratory failure, particularly in the setting of neurologic or neuromuscular disorders.
Our Division has a robust academic program. We have weekly conferences encompassing evidence-based literature review, and case reviews to help advance patient care to the highest level possible. We have developed co-management conferences with other divisions, such as Hepatology, Transplant, Trauma, Cardiology and Palliative care. Due to our multidisciplinary engagement we have developed protocols addressing complex clinical situations that have been adopted system wide.
Some of our faculty hold teaching positions at UCSD and Scripps Research. Our Division members are active in professional societies and hold leadership positions at American Thoracic Society, California Thoracic Society and National Association for Medical Direction of Respiratory Care.
Featured Services
Adult medical-surgical ICU care
Pulmonary function testing
Thromboembolic disease
Interstitial lung disease
Advanced minimally invasive diagnostic pulmonary and pleural procedures
Interventional pulmonary and pleural procedures
Pulmonary hypertension
Sleep apnea
Insomnia
Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Narcolepsy and other neurologically based sleep issues
Circadian Rhythm Sleep Disorders
Non-invasive ventilator support for patients with chronic respiratory failure
Recognitions & Awards
Division members have been named Top Doctors by the San Diego County Medical Society and San Diego Magazine; many of them several times over.
Dr. Jacqueline Chang was honored with the William H and Ruth Black Employee Achievement Award at Scripps Green Hospital (2015), Top Doctors 2018
Dr. Shazia Jamil has been named America’s Top Physician multiple times from Consumer Research Council of America
Dr. Kenneth Grudko, Dr. Shazia Jamil and Dr. Bao Luu have received Outstanding Teaching Award from Scripps Clinic Internal Medicine Residency Program
Dr. Darlene Elias holds faculty position at Scripps Research
Dr. Kenneth Serio, Dr. Shazia Jamil and Dr. Carrie Chun hold faculty teaching positions for medical students at University of California San Diego School of Medicine
Dr. Shazia Jamil co-founded and serves as Course Director for San Diego Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Case Conference and Clinical Updates, a quarterly live CME conference
Dr. Shazia Jamil is Associate Editor of Review of Critical Care Medicine, book by American Thoracic Society
Dr Shazia Jamil serves as Co-Chair of Education Committee at California Thoracic Society and Chair of Sleep Medicine Core Curriculum at Education Committee of American Thoracic Society
Dr Shazia Jamil is the Co-Founder and Chair of Rapid Response Team of American Thoracic Society, which addresses emerging lung health issues nationally and globally such as new viral infections including COVID-19, and vaping-induced lung injury
Dr Kenneth Serio developed a clinical educational website MD Nexus (www.mdnxs.com), which he keeps current with evidence based literature
Dr Kenneth Grudko has been actively involved in Respiratory Therapists’ education and is the Medical Director, School of Healthcare – Respiratory Therapy of California College San Diego and Independence University, Salt Lake City, Utah