Cardiac Rehabilitation

What to Expect with Cardiac Rehabilitation

The goal of cardiac rehab is to improve your heart health through exercise and lifestyle changes.

Who benefits from cardiac rehabilitation?

Anyone who has had heart problems and/or have had cardiac procedures done can benefit, such as:

• Heart disease, angina or heart attack
• Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
• Valve repair or replacement
  
• Heart transplant
  
• Balloon angioplasty
• Stents
• Heart failure
• Ventricular assist device (VAD)
  

What are the goals of cardiac rehabilitation?

We want to improve you overall heart health and help you return to a healthy lifestyle. Our goals are to help you with the following:

• Help to regain your strength
• Increase your understanding about heart disease
• Provide you support and motivation
• Decrease your risk of future heart events

Phases of cardiac rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation usually begins in the hospital after an inpatient procedure and continues throughout recovery

Inpatient

While in the hospital, the Phase I cardiac rehabilitation team will direct your early activity program. They will teach you about the recovery process and how to reduce the future risk of heart problems.

Early Outpatient

Soon after you leave the hospital, you can enter the outpatient Phase II cardiac rehabilitation program. Phase II is designed to safely increase your activity level. We will monitor your heart rhythm, provide close staff-to-patient interaction and weekly education classes. The length of participation in Phase II will be determined by your rate of recovery and insurance coverage.

Maintenance (Outpatient Supervised)

Phase III is appropriate for graduates of Phase II or individuals seeking to manage heart disease risk factors or make a healthy lifestyle change. Phase III provides safe, professionally supervised exercise sessions within the hospital. Phase III cardiac rehabilitation maintenance is not typically covered by insurance, but we strive to keep our pricing affordable.

Our Clinical Team

During your time in the program, you will work with a team of healthcare professionals, including exercise physiologists, registered nurses, registered dietitians, pharmacists and physicians.

How do I enter the program?

An order from your physician is usually all that is necessary to enter the program. You can request this from your physician, or we can request it for you. After the order is received, we can arrange for your initial visit and assessment. Your medical history, interests and rehabilitation goals will help us develop an effective and enjoyable program for you.