About Dr. Sergew
Amen Sergew, MD
Founder, Integrative Pulmonary Clinic
Assistant Professor, Medicine
When the COVID-19 virus erupted in early 2020, I was on the front lines as an academic, clinician, and Pulmonary/Critical Care physician. During the pandemic’s early days, doctors had few therapies to offer. In the absence of any medicines or vaccine, I saw up close how one deadly virus impacted people so differently. Some patients with many health complications survived while others who were healthy didn’t. I was left to wonder, why? What could physicians do to better help patients who face potentially deadly diseases?
This experience changed me.
It opened my pursuit of medicine to every avenue available for healing. I began to explore blending validated integrative medicine—such as meditation, breathing exercises, and nutrition—with my conventional medical practice. I enrolled at the University of Arizona’s Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine and now incorporate what I have learned into my conventional training.
Additionally, the practice of medicine during COVID-19 highlighted how my values contrasted with the demands of some insurance companies and profit-driven hospital systems. I believe a trusted doctor-patient relationship requires taking the necessary time to understand each patient’s unique health challenges—and uncover the root causes of their symptoms. I sought to start a practice that focuses on creating the time and space to prioritize understanding the whole person and the interrelationship among a patient’s body, mind, values, and environment.
Inspired by my own transformation, I established IPC with the aspiration of helping you access your own sources of optimal health and well-being.
Background
I began my medical training at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and then completed my residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Minnesota. In 2006, I came to Denver, Colorado, for fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Colorado. I am dual board-certified in Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine.
After completing my fellowship, I spent nearly a year as a pulmonary physician in New Zealand, where I met many kind patients, colleagues, and friends. Upon returning to the United States, I began working at National Jewish Health, where I established the Chronic Respiratory Failure Program, treating patients with late-stage pulmonary diseases requiring ventilator management, such as ALS, other neuromuscular diseases, COPD, and obesity hypoventilation syndrome. In collaboration with colleagues, I later helped developed a multi-disciplinary ALS clinic. I also worked at the Veterans Administration as Director of the ICU and am proud of my accomplishments of providing improved care for our Veterans in my short time there.
In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, listening to podcasts, knitting, and traveling. I am a cat owner but also appreciate cute and friendly dogs. My other passions include minimizing screen time to foster real human connections and spending time in nature. I also volunteer with Scopes & Shields, an organization I co-founded with a group of physicians and lawyers, with the mission to improve the care, privacy, and dignity of patients involved in the carceral system.
Accolades
-
Director of the ICU at the Veterans Administration, Aurora, CO 06/2024–04/2025
o Supervised ICU nurse practitioners in a fair and uniform manner
o Led the charge to bring fee-basis physicians to help cover days and nights
o Proposed, interviewed, and assisted in the hiring process of 4 nocturnists to cover nights
o Revamped the orientation and rounding process into the ICU for nurse practitioners, physicians, fellows and residents
o Collaborated with respiratory therapy, pharmacy, and nursing, as well as other services, to improve delivery of care in the ICU
Co-Director of ALS Clinic at National Jewish Health 06/2019 - 02/2022
o Helped establish and lead a Multi-Disciplinary Clinic for the management of ALS patients that utilizes the expertise of physicians, nurses, medical assistants, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, orthotics and representatives of the ALS Association
o Initiated and titrated non-invasive mechanical ventilation, airways clearance machines and management of invasive ventilation.
Chronic Respiratory Failure (CRF) Program Director at National Jewish Health 01/2018 - 02/2022
o Led initial meetings for program development
o Led the CRF clinic
o Met with all durable medical equipment companies
o Met with non-invasive mechanical ventilation and airways clearance machines manufacturers
o Developed various educational handouts on ALS and Non-Invasive Ventilation for Neuromuscular
o Created a website for patient education and staff education and tools for Chronic Respiratory Failure Clinic
o Liaison with the University of Colorado Neurology Department and provided pulmonary consults for neuromuscular patients
o Provided training through lectures and videos to CRF clinic staff.
Director of Outpatient Education 04/2018 - 02/2022;
o Organizing weekly conference (Grand Rounds, Case Conference, Journal Club)
o Liaison with the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine Division to identify and notify NJH faculty about educational opportunities
o Developed a Pulmonary rotation curriculum for internal medicine and family medicine residents
o Developed and maintain a website for faculty and trainees of resources and educational tools.
COPD Program
o Planned monthly meetings 2018 – 2019
o Organized COPD group to give a lecture series for fellows education day
o Organized to start a COPD Fellows Clinic at NJ once a week during First Year Outpatient Rotation
o Developed a website with COPD content for physicians, ancillary staff and patients.
Medical Staff Elected Representative - elected 2017 - December 2021.
Site Director at National Jewish Health for Pulmonary/Critical Care Fellows from University of Colorado; 2018 - 2020.
-
o Technical Expert Panelist: Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) in COPD. Nationally recognized experts on NIV collaborating and providing a presentation and updated recommendations to The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on NIV.
o Medical Advisory Group for the Colorado Governor’s Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee (GEEERC). Adviser to the GEEERC on medical issues surrounding COVID-19.
o American College of Chest Physicians: Home-based Mechanical Ventilation and Neuromuscular Disease NetWork. Elected Member 2019 - present.
o American College of Chest Physicians: Content Grader for Annual Meeting. 2019, 2021.
o American Thoracic Society: Health Policy Committee. Appointed Member. May 2019 -2021.
-
o National Jewish Health Covid-19 Pandemic star award; June 2021
o Taste of Ethiopia Festival Model Citizen Award, 2024
-
o “Neuromuscular Causes of Dyspnea.” 9th Annual Comprehensive Lung and Breathing Summit. Wednesday, March 11, 2026.
o “Dignifying the Care of Incarcerated patients. Speaker and Panelist.” National Jewish Department of Medicine Grand Rounds. January 12, 2024.
o How ALS Affects the Lungs. May 19, 2021. University of Denver. BIOL 3702: Topics in Physiology and Disease Exercise in Clinical Medicine Course.
o “Extubation using Non-Invasive Ventilation? What? Who? Why? How?” National Jewish Health Grand Rounds. December 6, 2019.
o ProEd: Severe Asthma Clinical Immersion Program. November 13, 2019. Asthma COPD Overlap.
o “Keeping Audiences off their Phones: The Craft of Giving a Dyanmic Talk. Presented Humorosly.” National Jewish Health Grand Rounds. August 2, 2019.
o National Jewish Health Nursing lecture series-Faculty Informational Nursing Education. Respiratory Anantomy. September 21, 2018.
o “A Randomized Trial of Long-Term Oxygen for COPD with Moderate Desaturation.” National Jewish Health Journal Club. January 13, 2017.
o “Evaluation of Cough in Adults.” Pulmonary Block. First Year University of Colorado Medical Student Lecture. April 29, 2019 and March 25, 2021.
o “To Whom Shall I Tell My Grief?” Invited speaker for University of Colorado Chaplain Residency Program. October 29, 2020.
o o “Management of Neuromuscular Weakness with Non-invasive Ventilation Lecture and Hands-On Session on the Use of Volume Assured, Pressure Support Ventilator, Use of Mechanical Insufflator-Exsufflator, Troubleshooting for Masks for Non-Invasive Ventilators.” University of Colorado Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine lecture for Fellow Education Day. October 4th, 2019.
o “The Pulmonary Management of ALS.” ALS Summit, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus Aurora, CO. November 4, 2017.
-
o “Human Dignity for Hospitalized Patients in the Carceral System.” Speaker and Panelist. Vanderbilt University Department of Medicine Grand Rounds. February 13, 2025.
o “Patient-Centered Care for the Incarcerated Persons: Removing the Shackles.” American College of Chest Physicians Annual Meeting. October 6, 2024.
o “Enhancing the Dignity and Rights of Incarcerated People in the Acute Care Setting.” Speaker and Panelist. Mayo Clinic Bioethics and Humanities Grand Rounds. September 21, 2023.
o “Dignifying the Care of Incarcerated Patients.” Speaker and Panelist.Mayo Medical Grand Rounds. September 20, 2023.
o “Noninvasive Ventilation Use for COPD in Sleep Lab and Ambulatory Settings.” Session Chair and Speaker. American College of Chest Physicians Annual Meeting. October 19, 2020.
o “Care of the Pulmonary Patient with Home NIV.” Faculty on Simluation Session. American College of Chest Physicians Annual Meeting. October 19, 2020. Cancelled due to COVID-19.
o “The Pulmonary Management of ALS.” Invited Speaker. Rocky Mountain ALS Association Ask the Experts ALS Symposium. Octover 11, 2020.
o “An Overview of Interstitial Lung Disease.” Invited Speaker. National Nurse Practitioners Symposium. Live Virtual Symposium. July 11, 2020.
o “Pulmonary Function Tests.” Virtual Resident Boot Camp. American Thoracic Society. June 25, 2020.
o Adult Pulmonary Cases Presentation. Invited Speaker. 42th Annual Pulmonary and Allergy Update Keystone Conference, Keystone, CO. February 5, 2020.
o “Updates in COPD: Diagnosis and Treatment.” Invited Speaker. 42th Annual Pulmonary and Allergy Update Keystone Conference. Keystone, CO. February 6, 2020.
o “Challenges to Weaning the Unweanable Patient: Extubating to Invasive Ventilation.” Speaker. American College of Chest Physicians Annual Meeting. October 22, 2019.
o “Non-Invasive Ventilation in Stable COPD. ” Chair of Session and Speaker. American College of Chest Physicians Annual Meeting. October 21, 2019.
o Non-Invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation Hands on Workshop. American Thoracic Society Resident Boot Camp. May 17, 2019.
o Hospital-Acquired and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia. National Nurse Practitioner Symposium, Keystone, CO. July 23, 2017.
-
o Crossroads with Dr. Sergew. UnabridgedMD Podcast.
o Interviewed as content expert for US News and World Report. August 19, 2019.
o Interviewed on Local Channel 9 News. The Impact of Air Pollution on Respiratory Diseases. June 17, 2016.
-
o Journals: Co-Guest Editor with Lisa Wolfe, MD, for Sleep Medicine Clinics on their edition on Non-Invasive Ventilation for Chronic Respiratory Failure. Determining 13 topics for articles. Contacting national experts to write on relevant topics, editing of 13 articles. 08/2019–02/2020.
-
o American Thoracic Society, member
o American College of Chest Physicians, member
Home Mechanical Ventilator Network, elected
o Integrative Medicine for the Underserved, member
-
Academic Articles
o Hill NS, Criner GJ, Branson RD, Celli BR, Macintyre NR, Sergew A; ONMAP Technical Expert Panel. Optimal Noninvasive Medicare Access Promotion: Patients with COPD Technical Expert Panel Report from the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Association for Respiratory Care, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the American Thoracic Society. Chest. 2021 Jul 28. PMID: 34339684 Review.
o Wolfe LF, Sergew A. A Comprehensive View of Noninvasive Ventilation.
o Sleep Med Clin. 2020 Dec;15. PMID: 33131669.
o Sergew A., Cooksey JA. Noninvasive Ventilation in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Sleep Med Clin. 2020 Dec;15. PMID: 33131662 Review.
o Sergew A., Fernández Pérez ER. Current Approach to Diagnosis and Management of Pulmonary Eosinophilic Syndromes: Eosinophilic Pneumonias, Eosinophilic Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis, and Hypereosinophilic Syndrome. Semin Respir Crit Care Med. 2016 Jun;37(3):441–56.
o Park M. S., He Q., Edwards M. G., Sergew A., Riches D. W., Albert R. K., Douglas I. S. Mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 modulates regional effects of injurious mechanical ventilation in rodent lungs. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012 Jul 1;186(1):72–81. Epub 2012 May 10.
o Keith, R. C., Powers, J. L., Redente, E. F., Sergew, A., Martin, R. J., Gizinski, A., Holers, V. M., Sakaguchi, S., Riches, D. W. A novel model of rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease in SKG mice.Exp Lung Res. 2012 Mar;38(2):55–66. Epub 2011 Dec 20.
Book Chapters
o Sergew A., Fischer, A., Brown K.,(2023) Chapter 27: Interstitial Pneumonia with Autoimmune Features. Orphan Lung Diseases: A Clinical Guide to Rare Lung Disease. Springer-Verlag, London.
o Sergew A., Brown, K. (2018) Chapter 9: Natural History of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Disease Monitoring. Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.
o Sergew, A., Brown, K. (2012). Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Other Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias. In S Spiro, A Agusti, G Silvestri (Eds.), Clinical Respiratory Medicine (4th Edition). Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier.
o Sergew, A., (2009). Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis. Chapter 9: Pulmonary infiltrates in the immunocompromised host (non-HIV), Chapter 36: Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, Appendix 2: Blood gases and acid-base balance. In K. K. Brown, T. Lee-Chiong (Eds.), Oxford American Handbook of Pulmonary Medicine. Oxford University Press, Inc., New York, NY.
Non-Peer Reviewed
o Sahni, A., Sergew, A. Home Mechanical Ventilation: How to initiate a chronic respiratory failure clinic. Chest Physician. 2021. July: Vol 16 (7):18-19.
o Sergew, A., Solorzano, D., Epstein, U., Greene, B. Abstract to the 2020 Innovations in Fellowship Education Program: Pulmonary Management of Neuromuscular Weakness.
