Ernest N. Morial Asthma, Allergy, and Respiratory Disease Center

(Approved by the Board of Regents, 1996)
Judd E. Shellito, M.D. Director

In 1997 The Ernest N. Morial Asthma, Allergy and Respiratory Disease Center at LSUHSC was dedicated as Louisiana’s first comprehensive center for the education, prevention, treatment and research of asthma and other respiratory diseases. The Morial Asthma, Allergy, and Respiratory Disease Center is named for, and dedicated to, Ernest “Dutch” Morial. “Dutch” suffered and eventually died from asthma. An integral part of the mission of the Ernest N. Morial Asthma, Allergy and Respiratory Disease Center is to preserve “Dutch” Morial’s passion for wanting to help those who need it most. Because the asthma death rate among African-Americans is almost triple that of Caucasians, and because the largest increase in incidence of asthma has been among inner city African-Americans, much of the Center’s work is focused on the African-American Community and the urban poor - helping those who need it the most.

The mission of the center is 1) Patient, community and physician education in asthma management and prevention, for all citizens with a special focus in high-risk groups such as African-Americans and the urban poor; 2) Outstanding patient care for those suffering from asthma and other respiratory diseases, such as pneumonia, emphysema, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary hypertension and other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, with a focus on access to care for the under-served; and 3) Basic and clinical research in asthma and respiratory diseases - with an emphasis on at-risk populations - to determine causes and to develop new methods for prevention, treatment and cure. The Center is an active component of the American Lung Association’s Asthma Clinical Research Centers.