Cardiopulmonary: Cardiac Rehabilitation

What is Cardiac Rehabilitation?

Cardiac rehabilitation, or cardiac rehab, is a medically supervised program designed to help heart patients recover quickly and improve their overall physical and mental functioning. The goal is to reduce the risk of another cardiac event or to keep an already-present heart condition from getting worse.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Iowa Specialty Hospital seeks to slow down and minimize the progression of your heart disease. We will combine exercise with education to help you on your way. Individualized programs can be set up for patients of all ages who suffer from any variety of heart disorder, such as heart attack, coronary artery bypass surgery, heart valve replacement, heart transplant, angina, and angioplasty. Other heart problems will be evaluated individually to determine eligibility.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation Program seeks to:

• Decrease cardiac risk factors

• Improve physical work capacity

• Return patient to safe vocational and recreational activity level

• Provide feedback to physicians regarding patient response to exercise and medications

• Ensure continuity of exercise program with transition to home

• Teach patient self-monitoring techniques

• Obtain monitored objective information in areas such as heart rate, blood pressure, etc.

• Decrease patient anxiety and depression

• Increase patient knowledge of disease process

• Provide patient with dietary needs and counseling

• Assist in weight control

• Improve self confidence and well-being

• Assist in developing a safe home exercise program

How the Does the Program Work?

After a referral is received from a physician, the patient will be individually assessed for personal needs and goals. After that time, patients meet two to three times per week. During these sessions, customized exercise programs are combined with group lectures from hospital personnel and a variety of topics consistent with the patient's program. Upon completion of the program, which can be up to 36 sessions, a hospital-based program called Phase 3 or Fit For Life, is set up so that patients can continue to make progress and maintain healthy living habits.

For more information, please visit our Locations & Hours page for contact information or download the Cardiac Rehabilitation brochure below.

Download a Brochure