Entering the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at St. Luke's Hospital will expose patients to new information about living a healthier and more rewarding lifestyle. Many patients are able to take this information and expertise and achieve functional levels that exceed what they were capable of prior to the cardiac event. The process is not easy, but through hard work, personalized education and support from the dedicated, multidisciplinary staff, patients have a better chance of overcoming a cardiac event.
Changes in coverage guidelines have allowed the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program to expand its reach. The new changes have called for expanded coverage on other diagnoses including: stents, valve surgery and heart transplants. Previously, only chest pain, heart attack in the past year or bypass in the past year were covered. This expanded definition for rehabilitative care will allow more patients to have access to supervised exercise, education, and counseling programs that were not available before.
All phases of the rehabilitation program are supervised by a multidisciplinary team consisting of certified and trained professionals including a medical director, registered nurses, dietitian, physical therapist, exercise physiologist and athletic trainers. In addition, St. Luke's is the only area cardiac rehabilitation clinic to have a psychologist on staff.
The rehabilitation program includes three distinct phases, all designed to allow the patient to better manage their health following their procedure or event.
- Phase I (inpatient) helps the patient re-acquaint themselves with normal, everyday activities immediately following surgery - like walking and sitting up in bed.
- Phase II (after discharge) allows for various exercise, education and counseling programs to help the patient modify behavior in the future.
- Phase III, when medically appropriate, allows the patient to train independently to help strengthen their body.
For more information about St. Luke's Cardiac Rehabilitation Services, call 314-205-6882.
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