COPD & Lung Clinic
Catherine Yardley Comprehensive Pulmonary Center
With everything from early to advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) diagnosis and treatment to lung cancer screening, we are here to help you breathe easier.
Our inviting, new space and caring clinicians await you! Staffed with specialty-trained respiratory navigators and advanced pulmonary function specialists, we offer hope for better living with symptom control. Feel acknowledged and cared for.
We listen, we partner, we make it easy.
Whether you need treatment from one of our Holy Cross Medical Group Pulmonary physicians for chronic pulmonary conditions or you want to quit smoking, we are here for you. We look forward to partnering with you to tailor a care plan for your specific needs.
Our navigators help you understand your disease and proper medication usage
- The COPD Clinic keeps your care plan on track and works with the COPD Foundation to stay up to date on therapeutic options and research
- Active partnership with the COPD Foundation for peer coaching and patient support
- Help with difficult to obtain breathing medications
- Partners to ease transition from hospital to home
- Help to obtain breathing devices for home
- Smoking cessation counseling
- Ease of access to care
Partnering with Physicians
We work with patients and their physicians to be a seamless extension of primary care and specialty practices, offering:
- Interventional care for rapid, early, advanced lung disease diagnosis
- State-of-the-art pulmonary diagnostic testing equipment
- Zephyr valve treatment option for advanced COPD
- State-of-the-art robotic biopsy equipment
- Sleep testing and therapy prescriptions
- Address pulmonary nodules, workup
- Pulmonary rehabilitation program
- Precise, advanced diagnostics
- ATS standards of excellence
- Lung cancer screening
Meet Our Navigators
Helen Visco, RRT-NPS, CPFT, Clinical Manager – COPD Clinic
Helen graduated from Rock Valley College in 1988 with an associate degree in respiratory therapy and recently earned her Bachelors degree in Respiratory Therapy (B.S.R.T) from Florida National University. Helen joined Holy Cross in 2018 as a COPD Navigator to pursue her passion in treating COPD. Her most recent professional accomplishments include co-author American Thoracic Society (ATS) abstract Empowering Patients: Implementing a Peer Health Coaching Program Following Hospital Discharge (atsjournals.org), named Therapist of the Year in 2019, and her team won Best Overall Award at Trinity Health’s 2019 Clinical Summit for their COPD Program. She is a member of the American Association for Respiratory Care and holds certifications as COPD Educator, Pulmonary Disease Educator as well as Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Her goal is to arm each patient with the tools, resources and support they need to start getting control of their disease. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her daughter, and enjoying all the perks of living in south Florida.
Frances Amortegui, RRT, TTS, COPD Navigator
Frances Amortegui is a Registered Respiratory Therapist with over 25 years of experience. In 2018, Frances joined Holy Cross Health as a COPD Navigator. She acquired certification as a Pulmonary Disease Educator and certification in Pulmonary Rehab and is a Tobacco Treatment Specialist. Now, Frances is studying to become a Certified Pulmonary Function Technician. She hopes to better serve her patients by continuing her education. Outside of work, Frances enjoys spending time with her family, boating and scrapbooking.
Victor Falcon, RRT, COPD Navigator
Victor Falcon is a Registered Respiratory Therapist with over 30 years of experience and a long tenure at Holy Cross Health. He joined the COPD Clinic in 2022 after serving in the Respiratory Therapy department, where he held several leadership roles and developed a wide range of clinical expertise as an instructor and preceptor. Victor also was involved in clinical research in Congestive Heart Failure/Cardiopulmonary Stress Testing. He is studying to become a Certified Pulmonary Function Technician. During his time off, Victor enjoys spending time with his wife, grandchildren and other family.
Lonna Rossiter-Gerkitz, CRT
Lonna joined Holy Cross Health in December 2021 as a Pulmonary Function Specialist/ Respiratory Navigator. She comes to us from Illinois and has 14 years of experience. She is a member of the American Association of Respiratory Care and holds certifications as a Pulmonary Disease Educator and in Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Lonna is now studying to complete her Certified Pulmonary Function Test, Tobacco Treatment Specialist, and Asthma Educator certifications. She enjoys using her skill set to better serve her patients and finds their successes most rewarding. Outside of work she enjoys spending her time with her family and all things Disney.
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Evangeline Ball
Evangeline Ball is a 1995 graduate of the University of Akron with an associate degree in Respiratory Therapy. She began her career at Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Ohio where she gained experience working in the Open Heart Unit, NICU, Sleep Study, Pulmonary Function Testing, and Methacholine Challenge Testing. Evangeline relocated to Fort Lauderdale in 2016 and joined the Holy Cross Respiratory Team. She is hardworking, compassionate, and dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare to her patients. She completed the FSU COM AHEC Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training in 2019 and has been a member of the COPD Clinic Team since 2022. In her free time, Evangeline enjoys spending time with her family, quilting, playing pickleball, and enjoying the Florida sunshine.
Nick Chinnici, RRT, CPFT, COPD Navigator
Nick Chinnici is a Registered Respiratory Therapist and Certified Pulmonary Function Technician with over 15 years of experience. Nick joined the team at Holy Cross Heath as a COPD Navigator in the clinic and contributes as a Respiratory Therapist in the hospital. Nick strives to serve his patients through his well-rounded background in respiratory therapy and durable medical equipment. He values supporting greater patient outcomes as a part of the team at the Catherine Yardly Comprehensive Pulmonary Center. During his time off, Nick enjoys kayaking, biking, snorkeling, and embracing the Florida outdoors.
