City: Denver, CO

Category: Health Care

Telephone: (303) 388-4461

Address: 1400 Jackson St.

Description: People with asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases come here from all over the world because National Jewish has an international reputation as a leading—if not the leading—medical center for the study and treatment of chronic respiratory diseases, allergic diseases, and immune system disorders.National Jewish’s pedigree is impressive. It is ranked among the top 10 independent biomedical research facilities in the world and is the No. 1 private institution in the world for immunology research. One of those Denver medical centers that originated to serve tuberculosis patients, it started in 1899 with the opening of the National Jewish Hospital for Consumptives. Today this nonsectarian medical center’s staff of 1,100 serves patients on a sort of modified outpatient basis, in which patients usually stay in hotels or in some cases at another hospital. One out of every five pediatric allergists in the US was trained here. National Jewish operates a free telephone information service, Lung Line, to answer questions and forward literature on such subjects as acute bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, and pneumonia. Call (303) 355-LUNG (5864) if you’re in Colorado or (800) 222-LUNG (5864) if you’re not for the 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. service.