Lakewood, NJ - More than one million Americans
suffer heart attacks every year. Unfortunately, nearly 400,000
will die in hospital Emergency Departments or before ever
reaching medical help. However, recent advances in early
recognition and treatment options are helping more people
survive than ever before.
Recovering from a heart attack, or other cardiac event or
heart surgery, can be a long and frightening process. Speeding
your return to healthy, active living is possible – with
the help of Kimball Medical Center’s experienced Cardiac
Rehabilitation team.
“We’ve been helping cardiac patients return
to good health and well being through cardiac rehabilitation
for more than twenty years,” says Peggy Burns, R.N.,
Director of Non Invasive Cardiology at the Lakewood hospital.
The hospital recognized early on the lifesaving benefits
of cardiac rehab, and was one of the first facilities in
the area to initiate the groundbreaking program.
Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program
designed to help patients recover and regain strength after
a heart attack, bypass surgery, angioplasty, and other heart
related events or procedures. According to Burns, it involves
various levels of carefully monitored exercise, nutritional
counseling, emotional support, and comprehensive education
about lifestyle changes to help patients reduce their risk
of additional heart problems in the future – and it’s
been proven to work.
In a 2004 study conducted by the Mayo Clinic and published
that year in the September Journal of the American College
of Cardiology, researchers found that cardiac rehabilitation
raised participants’ chances of surviving by more than
fifty percent for at least three years after a heart attack.
At Kimball Medical Center, the cardiac rehabilitation process
begins with an exercise prescription specific to the individuals
needs. “Inpatient support and education sessions may
be initiated while patients are still in the hospital,” explains
Burns. During this session cardiac rehab nurses discuss the
benefits of cardiac rehab with patients, how it works and
explore their cardiac risk factors – offering education
and practical tips to address them as well as support to
help make it happen. “During these sessions we try
to get to know each patient and their cardiac history so
that we’re able to tailor each program to meet their
individual needs,” explains Burns. “If a particular
patient smokes or uses tobacco, we’ll work on smoking
cessation. If they’re hypertensive, we’ll explore
how they can lower their blood pressure.”
After discharge, patients spend the first few weeks on the
mend – allowing the heart muscle and any surgical
incisions ample time to heal. The cardiac rehab program then
continues in the hospital’s Cardiac Rehab Unit on an
outpatient basis with monitored exercise, continued support
and comprehensive education on healthy lifestyle changes
to further reduce cardiac risk factors. This is all done
under the medical supervision of Moshe Bacharach, M.D., Section
Chief of Cardiology at Kimball Medical Center.
“We offer a comprehensive rehab program, providing
telemetry-monitored aerobic exercise including treadmill
walking, cycling, rowing, elliptical, and resistance training
exercises using free weights,” she says. Exercise prescriptions
as well as additional medical monitoring are tailored to
each individual patient, their particular condition and capabilities,
according to Burns. The facility is located within the hospital,
which also means patients have immediate access to emergency
care if necessary.
“Our goal is to ensure that our patients receive the
education and exercise they require, in a safe, professional
and caring way,” she explains. “We secure a
baseline blood pressure reading on all patients, one during
peak exercise and another after they’ve cooled down
to ensure their safety. We monitor blood glucose levels pre
and post exercise in those patients with insulin dependent
diabetes, as exertion may cause blood sugar levels to drop.
For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
congestive heart failure, or those who have an otherwise
compromised respiratory system, we monitor their oxygen saturation
before, during and after exercise,” she explains.
Patients participate in medically supervised exercise three
times a week for the duration of the 12-week program. They
also receive education and support to help them make lifestyle
and behavioral changes to improve heart health.
“In addition to helping patients become more physically
active, our team of advanced cardiac life support (ACLS)
certified nurses work with patients both one-on-one and in
a group setting helping them reduce other risk factors for
cardiac disease that are within their control. These include
learning to control blood pressure, cholesterol and blood
sugar levels, losing weight, smoking cessation, learning
ways to handle stress and making healthier food choices,” says
Burns. “We try and incorporate everything they need
to know to live a healthier, more active life – to
minimize the effects of past cardiac events on their heart
health and reduce their risk for cardiac events in the future.”
In order to participate in Kimball Medical Center’s
Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, patients require a referral
from a physician. Cardiac rehabilitation services are covered
by most insurance plans, either in part or in whole, including
Medicare and Medicaid. While the program can accept any cardiac
diagnosis, it’s important to check with your individual
insurance plan regarding coverage.
If you or someone you love has had a heart attack, has
stable angina, undergone cardiac surgery or experienced
another cardiac event, find out more about the benefits
of cardiac rehabilitation. Ask your doctor about cardiac
rehabilitation services at Kimball Medical Center, or call
1-888-724-7123 for more information.
Date: April 29, 2009
CONTACT: Carrie Cristello
Director, Public Relations
732-923-6552
ccristello@barnabashealth.org
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