FirstHealth Reaches Milestone of 2,000 Robotic Bronchoscopies

Transforming Lung Cancer Diagnosis with Robotic Precision

PINEHURST - FirstHealth of the Carolinas has completed its 2,000th robotic bronchoscopy, a milestone that highlights both its pioneering role in advanced lung care and its impact on patients across the country.

The World's First Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy

Central to this achievement is internationally recognized leader in interventional pulmonology and Pinehurst Medical Clinic physician, Michael Pritchett, D.O., MPH, who provides patient services under agreement with FirstHealth.

Dr. Pritchett's expertise and dedication have been instrumental in shaping the lung care program over many years and has helped position FirstHealth as a destination for innovative lung care.

In March 2019, Dr. Pritchett, who also serves as the medical director of the Chest Center of the Carolinas, performed the first cases worldwide using Intuitive's commercially available robotic platform, Ion. To this day, the Ion robotic system at FirstHealth carries the serial number 0001, underscoring the health system's place at the forefront of lung cancer diagnosis.

2,000 Patients, 2,000 Earlier Answers

"Reaching 2,000 cases is about more than a number-it represents 2,000 patients who were able to get answers sooner," said Dr. Pritchett. "Many of those patients were diagnosed at an early stage when treatment is most effective and survival rates are highest."

Robotic bronchoscopy allows physicians to navigate deep into the lungs with extraordinary precision, giving patients access to earlier, minimally invasive diagnoses that once required more invasive procedures or weren't possible at all. Patients now travel from across North Carolina and beyond to access the technology at FirstHealth.

"Our patients deserve to have the very best, without having to leave their own community to find it," said Dr. Pritchett. "That's why we launched this program here, years before it was available at major academic medical centers in our state."

The milestone also reflects the teamwork and talent behind the technology.

"This achievement wouldn't be possible without my incredible partners who have brought so much expertise and compassion to this program-Adam Belanger, M.D., and Bradley Icard, D.O., both of Pinehurst Medical Clinic; FirstHealth's operating room team, respiratory therapists and outstanding pathology group," Dr. Pritchett added. "Together, we've built a truly world-class lung program here at FirstHealth."

Partnerships Driving Progress in Pulmonology

Over the years, FirstHealth has also partnered with leading companies like Intuitive, Philips, CellTivity, Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic to bring the latest technologies into patient care.

As lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., FirstHealth's leadership in robotic bronchoscopy continues to offer hope. The milestone is not only a marker of innovation but also of lives changed through earlier answers and better outcomes.

Pinehurst Medical Clinic Pulmonologists Bradley Icard, D.O., Michael Pritchett, D.O., MPH, and Adam Belanger, M.D., offer a broad range of comprehensive pulmonology services in Lee and Moore County under a patient services agreement with FirstHealth.