OGDENSBURG -- Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center recently welcomed Dr. Francis Lee, MD, pulmonary & internal medicine, to their medical staff.

Before joining Claxton-Hepburn, Dr. Lee held the position of chief medical officer and medical director of both pulmonary and sleep departments at Calais Regional Hospital in Calais, Maine.

Lee earned his MB and BS degrees from the King Edward VII College of Medicine (since renamed Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine), and the National University of Singapore in Singapore. He attended the School of Postgraduate Medicine, NUS, earning his master of medicine (internal medicine) degree. Lee completed advanced training at the department of respiratory medicine at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.

He then completed his pulmonary and critical care fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, at the Department of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care. There, he subspecialized in therapeutic and diagnostic bronchology, with a particular interest in tracheobronchial diagnostic techniques.

His practice philosophy is a simple one: “to never forget the human side of medicine.” He went on to suggest that “if healing is the beating heart of medicine, then empathy is the lifeblood that circulates to give oxygen and fuel to a great practice.”

Patients with lung problems, anyone with unresolved or worsening shortness of breath, cough, wheezing or pleurisy (chest pain while breathing in), poor or worsening lung function testing or a need for supplemental oxygen, worrisome spots (nodules) on chest X-ray or CT scan of the chest, should be considered for a pulmonary consult with him. Patients who are coughing up blood in the phlegm, should be seen quickly, especially if they are smokers or at risk for lung cancer.

With regard to patients with sleep issues, Dr. Lee will also be addressing complaints such as excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), snoring, interrupted sleep, restless sleep, unexplained fatigue, difficulty in waking up in the morning. He also expressed an interest in circadian rhythm disorders such as a tendency to fall asleep early in the evening and wake up in the early morning, restless legs syndrome, and a condition called REM behavior disorder (RBD) where some patients tend to act out their dreams.

Sleep apnea is a specific and common diagnosis Dr. Lee is very concerned about. He says that this condition is a significant health issue for the United States, with an estimated 22 million Americans suffering from it, and surprisingly, with 80% of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) victims undiagnosed. OSA, when untreated, can lead to an increased cardiovascular risk for hypertension, unexplained atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat), chronic heart failure, heart attacks, and strokes. Additionally, it may also be associated with depression and diabetes. The persistent and often untimely sleepiness these patients experience may contribute to inadvertent and potentially avoidable road accidents as well as accidents at work involving heavy machinery.

For more info about Dr. Lee, visit claxtonhepburn.org/lee.