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Health for Life by Mercy has introduced the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program,
located in the lower level of the Mercy Medical Plaza, 800 W. Laurel.
Cardiac Rehab is a supervised program of exercise, emotional support and
education to allow a person with a heart condition to resume normal
activities.
Michelle Foreman, RN, has been named coordinator of the cardiac program, and
Dr. James Proffitt, internal medicine specialist, will serve as medical
director for the new service.
 Foreman
has been employed as an inpatient nurse with Mercy since 1990. As a charge
nurse on the inpatient unit, Foreman explained, she often saw patients who
couldn’t follow up with necessary rehabilitation after a cardiac event, and
she wanted to be involved with the cardiac rehab program to help reach these
patients.
As
medical director for the program, Dr. Proffitt’s role will be to evaluate
patients who are referred by their
primary physicians or cardiologists. He also will monitor patients
throughout their rehabilitation, which typically consists of an 18- to
36-week program, with three sessions per week.
Patients who have had a heart attack, open heart surgery, stent placements,
stable angina or other heart conditions can benefit from cardiac rehab,
Foreman explained. She also noted that Medicare provides coverage for its
beneficiaries who have been diagnosed with one of three conditions: heart
attack, open heart surgery or stable angina, and private insurance may cover
the program for other conditions as well.
A
cardiac rehab program allows patients to begin exercising slowly in a
supervised setting. While patients exercise on a treadmill or stationary
bike a few times a week, the rehab nurse monitors them for any discomfort or
changes in symptoms. Over time, the tolerance for exercise is likely to
increase. Also, many people find it easier to stick with a structured
program, and then keep exercising when it’s completed, Foreman explained.
The cardiac rehab program also provides education on smoking cessation,
nutrition and stress management.
More
information on the cardiac rehab program may be obtained by calling
620-330-8248.
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