Andrea Joy Campbell: “Today I pay tribute to the National Jewish Medical Research Center in Denver, Colorado, which has recently been…”

“Today I pay tribute to the National Jewish Medical Research Center in Denver, Colorado, which has recently been recognized by U.S. News and World Report as the top-ranked Respiratory Hospital in the United States. The work of National Jewish is close to my heart because I watched my mother struggle with tuberculosis throughout her lifetime. She lived and worked in a sanatorium for many years, making it difficult for her to care for my sister and me. In the late 1800s, Denver's elevation and abundant sunshine made it a mecca for people with tuberculosis. National Jewish treated only patients with tuberculosis until the 1950s, when antibiotics brought the disease under control. The hospital then turned its attention to asthma. Allergies which can develop into asthma, bronchitis, and sinus infections, now attack some 40 million people, double the number 25 years ago. Twice as many people, 15 million, have asthma now, too, at a cost of $6.2 billion a year in missed work and school, in medications and hospital visits. Today, National Jewish is a world-class institution, a global leader in the research and treatment of lung, allergic and immune diseases. It is ranked as the number one private institution for immunology research in the world and as one of the top 10 independent research institutions of any kind in the world. Tremendous breakthroughs in understanding respiratory disease are taking place in Denver.”