Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

This structured inpatient and outpatient program helps patients with specific cardiac diseases and/or procedures recovery more quickly and completely through monitored or supervised exercise programming and cardiac specific education classes. There is also a phase of the program designed to prevent the occurrence or reoccurrence of heart disease.

Cardiac rehabilitation benefits patients who have or are recovering from heart or vascular conditions or procedures, like:

• Cardiovascular disease, angina or heart attack
• Heart surgery: bypass surgery, valve repair or replacement, aortic aneurysm repair or replacement, heart transplant
• Interventional procedures, like angioplasty, or stents
• Heart failure
• Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm)
• Device implants, like pacemakers or internal defibrillators (ICDs)
• Other forms of heart or vascular disorders

Patients who regularly attend the rehab program can expect to see improvements in:

• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol levels
• Body weight
• Functional capacity (activities of daily living)
• Blood sugar control
• Mood/depression

Cardiac rehabilitation strives to:

• Improve your overall heart health
• Enhance your return to a healthy lifestyle
• Increase your understanding about your heart or blood vessel disease and treatment
• Direct you in making the right lifestyle changes to decrease your risk of future cardiovascular problems
• Increase your ability to perform your job and your daily or recreational activities
• Provide you and your family with the support and motivation you need to make important lifestyle changes

Our clinical team includes physicians, exercise physiologists, registered nurses and registered dietitians. These health care professionals provide and monitor individualized lifestyle adjustments including lipid management, nutrition, exercise, smoking cessation and weight loss.

Cardiac rehabilitation has a three phase approach that begins in the hospital and continues throughout recovery:

• Phase I: While in the hospital, the Phase I cardiac rehab staff will direct your early activity program. They will teach you about the recovery process and tell you how to reduce your future risk of heart problems.
• Phase II: Soon after you leave the hospital, you can enter the outpatient Phase II cardiac rehab program. The hallmarks of phase II are ECG monitoring, close staff to patient interaction each session, and weekly education classes. The length of time you participate in the Phase II program will be determined by your rate of recovery and insurance coverage.
• Phase III: Phase III provides a safer, professionally supervised exercise venue within the hospital and is appropriate for graduates of Phase II cardiac rehab or individuals seeking to manage risk factors or make a healthy change in their life. Phase III cardiac rehab maintenance programs are not typically covered by insurance, but we strive to keep our pricing affordable and we always cover the cost of your parking when you participate.

For more information about the cardiac rehab program, please call 317-962-2702.