Cardiac Rehab is a multidisciplinary program designed to help manage
heart disease and assist patients in their recovery after a coronary event. The program is catered to each individual’s needs as assessed
by our staff of exercise specialists, certified by the American College
of Sports Medicine as Certified Exercise Physiologists. Exercise prescriptions
and treatment plans are developed by the Exercise Specialist and are
based on an assessment of the patient's goals, needs, and capabilities.
Each patient’s treatment plan is individualized and shared with the
patient’s cardiologist to ensure a safe and effective program.
UMC Health System's Cardiac Rehab provides medically supervised and monitored exercise sessions. The
focus is on secondary prevention, which allows the opportunity for the
Cardiac Rehab Therapist to educate the patient about risk factors,
nutrition, exercise, stress and emotional aspects of heart disease,
medications, and anatomy and function of heart disease. Applying what is
learned through cardiac rehab to everyday life will help to prevent the
recurrence of a cardiac event. Through exercise and lifestyle changes,
our program will help improve physical and mental health, decrease
anxiety, and improve overall quality of life.
What Does the Program Involve?
Upon referral from a cardiologist, an onsite benefits specialist
will confirm insurance coverage of the program. An initial evaluation is
then scheduled to assess needs for entry into the Cardiac Rehab
program. Once an evaluation is completed a class time is chosen based on
availability. At UMC we seek to provide a convenient schedule for
patients. Treatment days are 2-3 days a week and last up to an hour.
Cardiac Rehab generally lasts 8-12 weeks or up to 36 sessions. Available
class times can be obtained through contacting the Cardiac Rehab team
at UMC. During each session, each patient’s vital signs, progress and
EKG is monitored with a portable telemetry system. The primary focus is on cardiovascular
endurance, strength and education. Our program's goal is to return
patients to their daily activities and increase quality of life
following a cardiac event.
UMC Cardiac Rehab is Nationally Certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). The AACVPR Program Certification is the only peer-reviewed accreditation process designed to review individual programs for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by the AACVPR and other professional societies. Certified AACVPR programs are recognized as leaders in the filed of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation because they offer the most advanced practices.