Atlanta’s pulmonology market serves one of the Southeast’s largest metropolitan populations, with respiratory conditions including COPD, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, and sleep-disordered breathing representing a substantial and growing portion of the region’s specialist caseload. Georgia’s warm, humid climate and high pollen levels contribute to elevated rates of asthma and allergic lung disease, while the metro area’s large cohort of adults with smoking histories and occupational exposures drives significant COPD and lung cancer screening demand. The city’s major academic medical center at Emory University and its affiliated Winship Cancer Institute provide subspecialty pulmonology expertise for complex interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, and lung cancer, while several large private pulmonology groups manage the majority of community-based respiratory care. Pulmonologists complete medical school, an internal medicine residency, and a two-to-three-year fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine, with additional subspecialty training available in interventional pulmonology, interstitial lung disease, and pulmonary hypertension.
When selecting a pulmonologist in Atlanta, confirm board certification through the American Board of Internal Medicine with a subspecialty certificate in pulmonary disease or pulmonary and critical care medicine. Ask whether the physician has specific experience with your condition — interstitial lung disease specialists, pulmonary hypertension experts, and interventional pulmonologists represent distinct subspecialty competencies within the broader field. For lung cancer screening, confirm the practice participates in a structured low-dose CT screening program with appropriate follow-up protocols. Red flags include practices that do not offer pulmonary function testing on-site, those that cannot provide access to bronchoscopy or interventional procedures through their affiliated hospital, and providers who do not coordinate care with thoracic surgeons or oncologists for complex lung conditions requiring multidisciplinary management.
Top Pulmonologist Companies in Atlanta
1. Pulmonary & Critical Care of Atlanta
Address: 960 Johnson Ferry Road NE, Suite 500, Atlanta, GA 30342
Phone: (404) 257-0006
Website: https://www.pccatl.net
Services:
- General pulmonology
- COPD and emphysema management
- Asthma evaluation and management
- Interstitial lung disease
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Lung cancer screening
- Critical care medicine
- Pulmonary function testing
About: Pulmonary & Critical Care of Atlanta is one of the leading private pulmonology practices in the Atlanta metro area, with board-certified physicians providing high-quality care to patients with pulmonary diseases and critical care needs across the region. Their physician team has earned recognition as Top Doctors, reflecting peer recognition of clinical quality within the Atlanta medical community. Their practice covers the full spectrum of pulmonary conditions from common respiratory diseases through complex interstitial lung diseases and critical illness, serving patients at their Johnson Ferry Road location adjacent to major north Atlanta hospital facilities. The practice’s combination of outpatient pulmonology and critical care expertise allows continuity of care for patients whose conditions require both clinic-based management and intensive care unit support.
2. Gwinnett Pulmonary and Sleep
Website: https://www.gwinnettlung.com
Services:
- Pulmonary disease diagnosis and management
- COPD and chronic bronchitis
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Respiratory infections
- Chronic cough evaluation
- Sleep disorders and sleep apnea
- Critical care medicine
- Pulmonary function testing
About: Gwinnett Pulmonary and Sleep was founded in 1983 and has grown into one of the largest pulmonary groups in the greater Atlanta region, operating five locations and employing ten board-certified pulmonologists who collectively serve the communities north and northeast of metro Atlanta. Their physician team provides both outpatient pulmonology and inpatient critical care coverage, with 24-hour ICU availability through affiliated hospital partnerships. The practice’s integrated sleep medicine program addresses the frequent overlap between pulmonary conditions and sleep-disordered breathing, particularly in patients with COPD and obesity hypoventilation syndrome. Their multi-location network provides geographic access across Gwinnett County and surrounding north Atlanta communities.
3. Emory Healthcare Pulmonology
Address: 5665 Peachtree Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, GA 30342
Website: https://www.emoryhealthcare.org
Services:
- General pulmonology
- Interstitial lung disease
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Critical care medicine
- Interventional pulmonology
- Lung cancer evaluation
- Telemedicine pulmonology
About: Emory Healthcare’s pulmonology program is one of the most academically distinguished in the Southeast, housed within a nationally recognized health system that consistently earns top rankings from U.S. News & World Report for its pulmonology and critical care capabilities. Emory’s pulmonologists include subspecialists in interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, and interventional pulmonology, providing referral-level expertise for patients with complex or rare respiratory conditions that exceed the scope of community pulmonology practices. The program’s integration with Emory’s thoracic surgery, oncology, and rheumatology services enables comprehensive multidisciplinary management for conditions including pulmonary fibrosis, connective tissue disease-associated lung disease, and thoracic malignancies. Telemedicine visit options extend access for established patients and initial consultations for patients unable to travel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When should I see a pulmonologist in Atlanta?
A: You should seek pulmonologist evaluation when you experience persistent shortness of breath not explained by cardiac causes, chronic cough lasting more than eight weeks, recurrent pneumonia or bronchitis, an abnormal chest imaging finding requiring further evaluation, a diagnosis of COPD, asthma that is difficult to control with standard medications, or a suspected interstitial lung disease. High-risk smokers aged 50 to 80 with a 20 pack-year history should ask their primary care physician about lung cancer screening with low-dose CT, which can be ordered by a pulmonologist or primary care physician. Your primary care doctor can refer you to an Atlanta pulmonologist, or you can self-refer at many practices.
Q: What pulmonary function tests are available in Atlanta?
A: Atlanta pulmonology practices and hospital pulmonary function laboratories offer the full range of respiratory diagnostic testing including spirometry (the basic lung function test measuring airflow), full pulmonary function testing with lung volumes and diffusing capacity, bronchodilator reversibility testing to assess asthma, methacholine challenge testing for suspected asthma, six-minute walk testing for COPD and pulmonary hypertension severity, and polysomnography and home sleep testing for sleep apnea. Interventional pulmonology services including bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), and thoracentesis are available at major hospital-affiliated pulmonology programs in Atlanta.
Q: Is Atlanta a difficult city for respiratory conditions?
A: Atlanta presents several environmental challenges for patients with respiratory conditions. The city consistently ranks among the nation’s highest for pollen counts, particularly during spring oak and pine pollen seasons, which significantly worsens asthma and allergic respiratory conditions. Atlanta’s warm, humid climate promotes mold growth, another common respiratory trigger. The metro area’s traffic congestion contributes to elevated ground-level ozone pollution on hot summer days, which exacerbates COPD and asthma. Patients who move to Atlanta from drier or cooler climates often find their respiratory conditions worsen, and those with baseline lung disease should work with an Atlanta pulmonologist to optimize their management plan for the local environment.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s pulmonology community provides specialist respiratory care through large private pulmonology groups, academic medical center programs, and multi-location practices serving the broader metro region. Pulmonary & Critical Care of Atlanta offers board-certified pulmonology and critical care expertise from a major north Atlanta location with Top Doctor recognition. Gwinnett Pulmonary and Sleep provides multi-location pulmonology and sleep medicine coverage across the northeast Atlanta metro through its ten-physician team and five locations. Emory Healthcare Pulmonology brings nationally recognized academic pulmonology depth including subspecialty expertise in interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, and interventional pulmonology. Contact any of these practices or your primary care physician for a pulmonology referral.