Dr. Yaron Goldman has always loved medicine and working with people. Dr. Goldman is both a pulmonologist and an intensivist (a doctor who treats critically ill patients). Dr. Goldman specializes in treating patients with chronic respiratory problems such as COPD and asthma, as well as sleep apnea. He also treats patients with acute problems such as pneumonia, lung nodules and lung cancer. He sees many of these patients in the Intensive Care Unit and Pulmonary Care Unit at St. Vincent Hospital.

Dr. Goldman first studied internal medicine and then became interested in Pulmonology as a specialty. “I was attracted to the combination of performing outpatient care as well as taking care of acutely ill patients in a hospital setting,” he explains. “I really enjoy the challenge of taking care of patients, making the right diagnosis, and seeing patients improve.”

Like other pulmonologists at Reliant Medical Group, Dr. Goldman treats many patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). “At Reliant Medical Group we have special programs for COPD patients including a COPD Clinic staffed by nurses, a pulmonary rehabilitation program, as well as referral for surgery when needed. The difficult thing about COPD is that the damage for the most part is irreversible. However, we can slow down the degree of deterioration. Some patients can be helped by lung transplants if they qualify. It’s a difficult disease to treat, but we can improve a patient’s quality of life if they have COPD.”

Dr. Goldman enjoys using the latest technology when caring for his patients. “Improvements such as digital radiology, electronic medical records, and the ability to coordinate care across different specialties has really made a difference in how we care for patients. It’s just so much easier to get the information you need to make decisions, which ultimately benefits the patient.”

One condition Dr. Goldman has had great success treating is sleep apnea. “Because sleep apnea sufferers can’t breath properly, they constantly wake up at night. This causes severe sleep deprivation and really affects their quality of life. We diagnose these patients in our sleep lab and often recommend treatment with a CPAP machine, which helps keep their airway open at night. It’s amazing the difference it makes – patients are able to function again and get their normal lives back. The change is really dramatic.”

Originally born in Israel, Dr. Goldman is happy to be practicing at Reliant Medical Group. “I’ve really enjoyed the atmosphere here. My coworkers and patients have been great to work with. I really think Reliant Medical Group is a great place to practice medicine.”