A Pulmonologist’s Journey: Blending Expertise, Compassion, and Whole-Person Care

At ALS United Rocky Mountain, we are proud to partner with dedicated clinicians who share our commitment to compassionate, comprehensive care for people living with ALS. We are honored to highlight Dr. Amen Sergew, MD, whose work reflects the importance of blending clinical expertise with whole-person support—an approach that closely aligns with our mission to empower individuals and families affected by ALS. Through partnerships like Integrative Pulmonary Clinic, we aim to share insights that help our community better understand care options, navigate challenges, and feel supported at every stage of the ALS journey. The following blog offers Dr. Sergew’s perspective on delivering thoughtful, patient-centered care.

A Pulmonologist’s Journey: Blending Expertise, Compassion, and Whole-Person Care

By: Dr. Amen Sergew, MD

In 2006, I came to Denver to complete my fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Colorado. I remained in academic medicine at National Jewish Health for over a decade, where I helped establish an ALS clinic.

It was there that I found some of the most meaningful work of my career.

Caring for individuals living with ALS and supporting their families is both humbling and deeply human. ALS brings a wide spectrum of emotions, including fear, uncertainty, and grief, but also profound expressions of love, resilience, and connection. Being invited into that journey is a privilege I do not take lightly. My work in ALS has focused on helping patients navigate respiratory challenges, anticipate changes, and maintain quality of life with dignity and clarity.

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in early 2020, I served on the front lines in hospitals across the country. At that time, we had limited therapies and no vaccines. What struck me most was the unpredictability of the disease. Some patients with significant health burdens survived, while others who were previously healthy did not.

What could physicians do to better help patients facing potentially deadly diseases? That question stayed with me.

It echoed what I had witnessed in ALS care. Health and illness cannot always be explained by physiology alone. There are deeper layers such as resilience, environment, nutrition, movement, spirituality, and connection that shape outcomes in ways we are still working to understand.

These experiences changed the trajectory of my work.

I began to intentionally expand my approach to medicine by incorporating evidence-based integrative practices such as breathing techniques, nutrition, stress regulation, and mindfulness alongside conventional pulmonary care. I entered a fellowship program through the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine to bring a more comprehensive, whole-person framework into my clinical practice.

At the same time, the pandemic highlighted a growing tension in modern healthcare. I found that the time and presence required to truly understand patients, especially those facing complex and life-altering illnesses, often conflicted with the constraints of insurance-driven systems.

Recently, I established Integrative Pulmonary Clinic. The clinic is built around a simple but essential idea: patients deserve time, attention, and care that considers the full picture of their health, including the body, the mind, their values, and their environment. This approach is particularly important in conditions like ALS, where thoughtful respiratory care, proactive planning, and emotional support all play a critical role.

Whether working with individuals living with ALS or other pulmonary conditions, my goal is to walk alongside patients and families, offering expertise, presence, and partnership through each stage of the journey.

I look forward to being part of your care.

To learn more, you can visit Integrative Pulmonary Clinic.