For many years, the healthcare field has tried to improve how chronic diseases like COPD are treated. We have found that when you are motivated and engaged in your care, you have the power to improve your health. This is what we hope to achieve with you during this program. We hope to teach, support, and inspire you to understand COPD and to take an active role in reaching your health goals.

RISE is a free 10-week program for people with a lung disease called COPD. The RISE study will compare whether our community pulmonary rehab programs, COPD Wellness and Plus+ Program, are more beneficial than a patient's usual care. Our staff will also examine if adding a health advocate (HA) to the program gives any extra benefits. The study is currently taking place at three community clinics in San Francisco, focusing on patients who are socially vulnerable and may face barriers to receiving care.

Clinic Locations

What is Pulmonary Rehab?

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program of education and exercise to increase awareness about your lungs and your disease. You will learn to achieve exercise with less shortness of breath. The classes are offered in a group setting so you get the chance to meet others with your condition, which provides an opportunity to give and receive peer support. The skills and knowledge learned in the program will help you feel better and manage your chronic lung disease. You’ll become stronger by increasing your level of fitness. Exercising your lungs and your muscles helps you be more active so you can do the things you enjoy with your loved ones. Pulmonary rehabilitation may even decrease the need for hospital visits.

What will I have to do?

Randomly placed into one of three groups:

COPD Wellness: A 90-minute ten-week class at one of three community clinics. During these classes, you meet with a small group of people who also have COPD and learn about COPD, self-management, exercise, nutrition, and goal setting.
COPD Wellness Plus+: This is the same as COPD Wellness but also includes access to a health advocate who can connect you to community resources.
Usual Care: Patients get regular care from their medical provider and a referral to the Better Breathing Program, which focuses on COPD education. After completing the study, patients who have only received regular care will be offered to join the COPD Wellness Program. The goal is to see how well these programs help with symptoms and improve activity levels and to understand how they can be effectively implemented in different clinics. The researchers will also look at what makes it easier or harder for patients to follow through with the program.

Follow-up visits: Visits are scheduled about three months apart and will hlep us learn about your health and self-managment of COPD. During these visits, you will complete questionnaries, participate in a short clincal exam, and two six-minute walking test. The six-minute walking test is a standard test in which you walk for six minutes so we can measure how strong your lungs are. You will also be given a Fitbit to measure your exercise levels.

For your time and participation, you will recive $50 for each the first and last visit, and $30 for each of the two visits in between, and we will also reimburse you for parking and transporation costs.

Classes: A 90-minute ten-week class at one of three community clinics. During these classes, you meet with a small group of people who also have COPD and learn about COPD, self-management, exercise, nutrition, and goal setting.

Meet the RISE Study Team

Dr. Neeta Thakur, MD, MPH, Principal Investigator

Dr. Thakur is a lung specialist and researcher focused on improving care for asthma and COPD patients. As a clinical leader at the SFHN Chest Clinic, she works to bring effective treatments and programs for patients in low-resource healthcare settings. Through the RISE Study, Dr. Thakur is dedicated to promoting exercise and rehabilitation programs in various healthcare and community settings to increase access for all patients.

Emilia Patrick, MSN, RN, AE-CNurse Instructor/Co-Investigator

I’m the Group Education Program Manager and Nurse Educator for the Healthy San Francisco Asthma/COPD Program. I helped create the COPD Wellness Program and am very excited to be able to offer it at our community clinics through this grant.

COPD Wellness is a version of a program called pulmonary rehabilitation that is considered the best care someone can receive if they have COPD. The class combines exercise with learning about how to eat, sleep, and breathe better.

I'm looking forward to meeting you in one of my future classes and taking a walk together.

Leslie Seijo, MD, Leslie Seijo, MD, Co-Investigator

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Angèlica Nevarez, CHW, COPD Wellness Coach

Hello everyone! My name is Angèlica, and I am here to support YOU! My goal is to help you feel empowered with your COPD tools and tips that we will share with you, how to advocate for yourself with your provider, and see what our community offers you to live your best life!

I am a San Francisco native, and I love our community. I graduated from City College of San Francisco and transferred to San Francisco State where I completed my studies in the Community Health Worker Program and Health Information Technology. I enjoy reading, discovering new comic books, and films, and spending time with good company.

Christine Lin, Senior Clincal Research Coordinator

Christine Lin is a Senior Clinical Research Coordinator at UCSF’s CLEAR (Collaborative Learning through Evidence and Research) Lab, where she helps drive impactful research that makes healthcare more accessible and effective. With a keen interest in research project management, Christine enjoys being part of a research group that connects with diverse communities a in even the most complex studies. She’s passionate about turning big ideas into actionable insights and bringing a little extra energy to everything she does at the CLEAR Lab!

Valeria Rojas, Clinical Research Coordinator

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Valeria has been a Clinical Research Coordinator on the RISE Team since 2022. She is passionate about health care equity and patient advocacy; she is one of several coordinators who may complete your appointments and answer your calls / texts to our phone number.

Jackelyn Ledsesma, Health Advocate

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Hi everyone! My name is Jackelyn "Jackie" Ledesma, and I’m excited to introduce myself as one of the Health Advocates on the RISE team. My role involves checking in with participants and sharing resources that might be helpful or of interest. My goal is to provide as much support and assistance as possible to you!

Jacqueline Leon, Health Advocate

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Hi! My name is Jacqueline León, and I am a Health Advocate for the RISE study. I look forward to finding ways in which I can support you!

Vivian Thompson, Clinical Research Coordinator

Vivian has been a Clinical Research Coordinator on the RISE Team since 2024. She graduated from the University of the Pacific where she studied biochemistry and is dedicated to her passion for healthcare equity and enhancing the quality of life through healthcare.

She looks forward to supporting you through your appointments and is available to answer your questions. Vivian is fluent in both English and Cantonese.

In her free time, Vivian also enjoys cross-stitching, crocheting, cooking, and chasing after her two kids.

Hewlett Pham, Research Fellow

Hello! My name is Hewlett and I work closely with our patients to ensure they feel supported and valued throughout their journey in the RISE study. I am passionate about working towards improving lung health outcomes in the Bay Area and helping folks achieve their health goals.

I was raised in Oakland and graduated from UC San Diego with a major in Public Health. When I am not working on the study, I enjoy reading and hiking with my family. I’m looking forward to getting to know you and supporting you every step of the way. Thank you for being part of the RISE study!

FAQ

Will I be compensated for my participation?

Yes, you are paid for participation in study appointments up to $160, about $50 for the first and last visit and $30 for the visits in between. You may also receive up to $30 for completing class goals. In addition, you're eligible to be reimbursed for parking and transportation related costs up to $30 per study visit and class; just make sure to bring a receipt or proof of payment!

I know someone who might benefit from the program, but I'm not sure if they qualify, what should I do?

We recommend either telling us in person or giving us a call or text to our study phone number with their name and preferred method of contact. We're happy to speak to them about the program and investigate if this study is right for them!