Chadi Hage, MD, Appointed Medical Director of UPMC Lung Transplant Program

UPMC is proud to welcome Chadi A. Hage, MD, FCCP, ATSF, who will serve as medical director of the UPMC Lung Transplant Program beginning July 2022. Dr. Hage brings a breadth of experience to the organization – he previously served as research director, Staff Physician Thoracic Transplant Program, Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital; medical director, Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program, Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital; and medical director, Center of Life for Thoracic Transplant (COLTT), Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital.

Over the course of his 25-year career, Dr. Hage has extensively treated patients with traditional and complex lung conditions, vastly researched various subjects pertaining to pulmonary medicine, and worked to advance quality improvement and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. He joins a multidisciplinary, nationally recognized team of physicians and surgeons who carry on a legacy of clinical excellence and innovation that spans four decades.

Clinical, Research, and Academic Expertise

Dr. Hage received his medical degree from the Lebanese University School of Medicine in Beirut, Lebanon, followed by an internship at American University of Beirut Medical Center, an internship at State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, and a residency at Indiana University School of Medicine. He then completed fellowships in pulmonary medicine, infectious diseases, and critical care medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Dr. Hage is board certified in infectious diseases, pulmonary medicine, and critical care medicine, and has extensive clinical and research experience in fungal infections, lung transplant, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and transplant critical care. He has been awarded various grants, including the VA Career Development Award by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in which he served as principal investigator, an R01 award by the NIH-NHLBI as site principal investigator, and has received several other awards as site principal investigator at the Indiana University Health Lung Transplant Program.

Dr. Hage has authored over a dozen book chapters, counting multiple in Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, Fishman’s Pulmonary Diseases and Disorders, and Principles and Practice of Transplant Infectious Diseases. He has served as a reviewer on dozens of medical journals such as The Lancet, the European Respiratory Journal, American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, American Journal of Transplantation, and the Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. Dr. Hage is a member of several professional societies, including the American Thoracic Society, International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, and American Society of Transplantation.

Yet medical education and service have been a focal point of his career as well. As an associate professor of Clinical Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine, Dr. Hage has taught medical students various subjects pertaining to pulmonary medicine, in addition to mentoring residents and fellows on research projects and serving on multiple advisory committees. He has also taken part in quality improvement and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives through his active involvement with the American Thoracic Society, such as chairing diversity forums; workshops on mycobacterial and fungal diagnostics; and chairing post-graduate courses on difficult clinical problems in pulmonary infections and workshops on fungal diagnostics at the American Thoracic Society International Conferences.

UPMC’s Comprehensive Lung Care Model

In his role at UPMC, Dr. Hage will leverage his extensive experience to continue UPMC’s legacy of providing world-class care to patients with severe pulmonary disease. Since its inception, experts at the UPMC Lung Transplant Program have performed more than 2,350 lung and heart-lung transplants, making our program one of the most experienced in the country in terms of volume, while maintaining outcomes that are consistent with national averages.

We have achieved this level of success through our comprehensive lung care model. This includes early referral, taking a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach to care, and keeping the wellbeing of our patients at the core of everything we do.

We encourage referral early in your patient’s disease progression. This not only allows us to become familiar with your patient and their specific needs, but also helps us address barriers, provide education about the lung transplant process, and increases their chances of receiving a successful lung transplant with optimal outcomes.

Our team is comprised of a multidisciplinary group of experts, allowing us to provide the full scope of lung disease diagnosis, treatment, and management. We work in close collaboration with the UPMC Comprehensive Lung Center, ensuring a seamless continuum of care for patients with a newly diagnosed lung condition, who need access to innovative treatment, or who need a single or double lung transplant.

Our team also includes you – the referring physician. We will collaborate with you and keep you informed through every step of your patient’s care; from diagnosis, to treatment, and transplant management; all with the goal of developing an individualized treatment plan that fits your patient’s distinct needs.

To refer a patient to the UPMC Lung Transplant Program or for more information, please call 1-800-544-2500 or email cttransplant@upmc.edu.