2020
DR. ALFREDO
ASTUA
DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF PULMONARY MEDICINE
ELMHURST HOSPITAL CENTER
Dr. Alfredo Astua is the Director of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine for Elmhurst
Hospital Center. He was born in Chinandega, Nicaragua to a family of bakers. Since youth,
his mother instilled the importance of education and helping others in the community. He
recalled on occasions distributing food with his mother to the poor and giving supplies and
counseling at the local mentally ill hospitals and jails. He has been here ever since, living and
working in the Elmhurst/Jackson Heights area.
He studied medicine abroad in Guadalajara, Mexico and graduated at the top of his class. He
graduated from the Elmhurst Hospital Center residency program in 2004 and stayed working
with the Pulmonary department until 2006 when he left for a fellowship in Pulmonary, Critical
Care and Sleep Medicine at St. Luke’s - Roosevelt Hospitals and Sleep Disorders Institute in
Manhattan New York.
Dr. Astua stayed in EHC until he left for additional training and experience for Mount Sinai
Beth Israel to spearhead the Pulmonary Department in creating a successful Sleep Medicine
program as the Sleep Medicine Director for the hospital.
Dr. Astua has since returned to EHC as Chief of the Department in the Intensive Care Unit.
He is versed in many pulmonary procedures and hopes to bring innovative procedures such
as Bronchial Thermoplasty and Pleuroscopy to Elmhurst Hospital for the improved care of
patients.
He was a key member of the pulmonary and critical care division working at Elmhurst Hospital
and had first hand experience with caring for and treating the COVID-19 patient population
during the New York City sugre.
He is married to his wife Natalia and has two daughters, nine-year-old Isabella and four-yearold
Sofie.
HEALTHCARE HEROES/ELMHURST HOSPITAL