Our History

In 1961 Dr. Warren J. Warwick and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, and the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, established the Minnesota Cystic Fibrosis Care, Research and Teaching Center. The mission was to develop approaches to understanding and treating the complications of CF. During his 38 year tenure as our CF Center Director, Dr. Warwick set the standard for aggressively treating the complications of CF. The Minnesota CF Center, under the current leadership of Dr. Carlos Milla, coordinates the clinical care and research participation of patients with CF utilizing a comprehensive CF care and research team approach.

During the first 7 years of CF care, the annual mortality rate for CF at the University of Minnesota dropped from 25% to 2%, where it has remained to date (sometimes even dropping below 1%). The number of CF patients under our care has increased from 16 to over 500. The age range has increased from newborn to 14 years to newborn to 65 years of age. The median survival age has increased from 2 1/2 years of age to 47. A comprehensive and coordinated care focus allows the Minnesota CF Center to establish this outstanding record that serves as the standard for CF care in this region.