Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division
The Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division has a tradition of excellence in clinical care and a strong commitment to the mission of our hospital:
- Critical Care Medicine Fellowship since 1990 has trained many Hennepin Internal Medicine and Emergency Medicine graduates, among others
- Home to the institution’s Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Program since 2015, which has been recognized internationally as a center of excellence
- Robust pulmonary consultative and outpatient services, including collaboration with the pulmonary function testing lab and respiratory care department
Clinical Care
Our practice is centered at HCMC/Hennepin Healthcare, a safety net hospital and trauma center which serves patients from throughout the Upper Midwest and many who have immigrated from other countries. We provide comprehensive care for patients with all stages of lung disease. Our faculty and fellows care for critically ill patients in the medical intensive care unit at HCMC/Hennepin Healthcare. Beginning in 2019, we have incorporated the Allergy and Immunology providers into our division which strengthens our collective ability to provide exceptional outpatient care for patients with all types of allergies and asthma.
Education & Training
Our faculty are committed to educating and mentoring trainees at our hospital, including medical students, residents, and our group of three critical care fellows who each complete two years of post-residency training.
Research
Our investigator-initiated research is largely embedded within our clinical practice and spans quality improvement activities, observational studies, and leadership and collaboration in multicenter pragmatic clinical trials which aim to advance the science of pulmonary and critical care medicine and improve patient outcomes. We collaborate on trials funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Defense in conditions including sepsis, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and cardiac arrest as well as bedside interventions such as ECMO and emergency airway management.
More details about our research activities can be found here:
- Pragmatic Critical Care Research Group (PCCRG)
- Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses in the Critically Ill (IVY)
- Prevention and Treatment of Acute Lung Injury (PETAL)
- Strategies to Innovate Emergency Care Clinical Trials (SIREN)
Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Providers
Currently, the division comprises 11 faculty and 1 advanced practice provider who all participate in patient care and academic projects. We are a self-contained division that hosts a Critical Care Medicine Fellowship training program. Our faculty are all appointed at the University of Minnesota Medical School; all work is done within the Department of Medicine at Hennepin Healthcare.
Mark Sprenkle, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Dr. Sprenkle has clinical expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of acute respiratory failure, sepsis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic pulmonary infections, interstitial lung disease, and lung cancer staging through endobronchial ultrasound.
His research interests include outcomes in critical care medicine.
Education and training
- MSc, Clinical Research, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
- Chief Resident, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Internal Medicine Residency, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- MD, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- BA, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Caroline Davis, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Dr. Davis is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Medicine and board eligible for Critical Care Medicine. She has a particular interest in medical education, particularly around sensitive communication in the ICU. She has extensive experience in using simulated environments to train fellow and resident physicians and medical students in a way that maintains their psychological safety.
Education and training
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
- Chief Resident, University of Washington Boise, Boise, ID
- Internal Medicine Residency, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- MD, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- BA, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
Scott Davies, MD
Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Dr. Davies specializes in pulmonary medicine and critical care medicine. He has been a teacher and mentor of medical students, fellows, and residents at HCMC/Hennepin Healthcare since 1979. He has an active role in clinical rotations in pulmonary medicine and critical care medicine for trainees at all levels. Dr. Davies has authored and co-authored numerous journal articles, books, book chapters, and editorials on internal medicine, thoracic, and pulmonary medicine.
Education and training
- Program for Chiefs of Clinical Services, Department of Health Policy and Management and the Center for Continuing Professional Education, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
- Pulmonary Fellowship, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- Internal Medicine Internship and Residency, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- MD, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- BA, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
Kenneth Dodd, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Dr. Dodd is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine. He cares for critically-ill patients in the medical intensive care unit. He has clinical expertise in resuscitating patients suffering from life-threatening conditions such as cardiac arrest and sepsis.
Education and training
- Chief Resident, Emergency Medicine-Internal Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN
- Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine Residency and Fellowship, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN
- MD, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- BS, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Joshua Dorn, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Dr. Dorn is board-certified in Allergy and Immunology, caring for patients with allergies, asthma, and immune deficiencies. He completed his fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and his Internal Medicine residency at Hennepin Healthcare. He has a special clinical interest and expertise in food allergy, food oral immunotherapy, drug allergy, and chronic cough.
Education and training
- Allergy and Immunology Fellowship, Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
- Internal Medicine Internship and Residency, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN
- MD, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- BS, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
Heidi Erickson, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Program Director, Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, Hennepin Healthcare
Dr. Erickson provides critical care for patients in the medical intensive care unit as well as pulmonary consultation in the hospital and clinic settings. She has special interests in acute respiratory failure, chronic lung disease, and lung cancer, and performs flexible bronchoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound. Additionally, she is interested in medical education and enjoys working with trainees.
Education and training
- Chief Fellow, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Fellow and Faculty as Clinician Educators (FACE) Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Chief Resident, Internal Medicine Residency, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN
- Internal Medicine Residency, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN
- MD, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- BS, Macalester College, St. Paul, MN
Robert Kempainen, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Dr. Kempainen has an avid interest in bronchiectasis, including both clinical research and patient care. Medical education is one of Dr. Kempainen’s primary scholarly interests. He has conducted research and has taught and developed curricula for a wide spectrum of medical providers.
Education and training
- Teaching Scholars Program, University of Washington Department of Medical Education, Seattle, WA
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Internal Medicine Residency, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN
- MD, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- BA, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
James Leatherman, MD
Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Hennepin Healthcare
Dr. Leatherman graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1977. He completed his Internal Medicine residency training in 1980 and a Pulmonary Fellowship in 1983, both at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Education and training
- Pulmonary Medicine Fellowship, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- Chief Resident, Internal Medicine, Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN
- Internal Medicine Internship and Residency, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- MD, University of Arkansas School of Medicine, Little Rock, AK
- BA, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Matthew Prekker, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Medical Director, Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) Program, Hennepin Healthcare
Physician, Emergency Medicine, and Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare
Through specialization in both Emergency Medicine and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Dr. Prekker provides acute care for patients in the Emergency Department and Medical ICU as well as maintaining a practice as a pulmonary consultant and clinic physician. He has special expertise in resuscitation from critical illness, including airway management, mechanical ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Education and training
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine Residency, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN
- MPH, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN
- MD, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- BA, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA
Robert Shapiro, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Co-Director, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Hennepin Healthcare
Director, Pulmonary Function Laboratory and Bronchoscopy, Hennepin Healthcare
Dr. Shapiro has clinical expertise in critical care medicine, mechanical ventilation, pulmonary medicine, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and interstitial lung disease.
His research interests include mechanical ventilation and hemodynamic monitoring in intensive care.
Education and training
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, MN
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- Internal Medicine Residency, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- MD, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- BA, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
John Sweet, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School
Dr. Sweet received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota. He completed his Internal Medicine Residency at Hennepin County Medical Center and Fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Education and training
- Allergy and Immunology Fellowship, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- Internal Medicine Residency, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN
- MD, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN
- BA, Carleton College, Northfield, MN