Pulmonology & Respiratory Care
Pulmonary medicine deals with the different facets of breathing disorders.
A pulmonologist is a doctor who evaluates diagnoses and treats lung diseases such as:
- Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD)
- Asthma
- Chronic Bronchitis
- Shortness of Breath
- Emphysema
- Sarcoidosis
- Arthritis-related lung diseases
- Pleural Effusion
- Pulmonary Fibrosis
Dr. Mahler is Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire. Since October 2014, he works as a pulmonary physician at Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont, New Hampshire, where he is Director of Respiratory Services. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Mahler, call the Kane Center at Valley Regional Hospital 603 542-6777. Fax number: 603 543-6822.
Learn more about COPD from Dr. Mahler online at https://www.donaldmahler.com
In 2022, Dr. Mahler wrote a book for those with COPD and their family members titled, “Answers to Your Most Pressing Questions about Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease” published by Johns Hopkins University Press – Available on Amazon.
Respiratory Care
The Cardiopulmonary / Respiratory Therapy Department at Valley Regional Hospital provides services to both inpatient and outpatients. Acute respiratory care services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to patients of all ages. We are staffed by licensed therapists who are RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapists).
Outpatient Pulmonary Function Laboratory Services
In our pulmonary function laboratory, sophisticated diagnostic testing helps doctors evaluate lung function. A physician might prescribe a pulmonary function study for a number of reasons, including:
- Patients experiencing shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing
- Patients with a history of smoking
- Patients diagnosed with asthma (treatments with biologic therapies available if indicated)
- Patients who have been exposed to some type of environmental toxins
Pulmonary function tests are non-invasive diagnostic exams that provide important information about lung volumes, capacities, rates of flow and gas exchange that doctors use to help diagnose certain lung disorders.
Several types of diagnostic tests can be performed in the lab, including:
- Ambulating saturation
- Arterial blood gas sampling
- Lung volume measurement
- Maximum inspiratory pressure measurement
- Spirometry
- Bronchial inhalation challenge testing
- Diffusion capacity studies
- Pulse oximetry at rest , while walking and while sleeping
Valley Regional Hospital is designated as an Alpha-1 Clinical Resource Center by the Alpha-1 Foundation, a group committed to finding a cure for Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency and to improving the lives of people affected by Alpha-1 worldwide. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a hereditary cause of emphysema, a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dr. Donald Mahler and his team were invited to apply to the Alpha-1 Foundation to be a Clinical Resource Center due to their work in this field. Valley Regional is the only Clinical Resource Center of the Alpha-1 Foundation in New Hampshire.
