Heart Rehabilitation

We offer a heart rehabilitation program to help you recover quickly and return to your full, productive life. Ernie, Heart Care patient

Through our program, you will learn how to control your heart disease risk factors through:

Dietary changes
Quitting smoking
Weight loss
Stress reduction
Blood pressure management

Most patients can return to their usual activities within a few months after a heart attack or heart surgery. Cardiac rehabilitation staff monitors and coordinates your care during your recovery. Heart rehabilitation improves the recovery process, increases physical fitness, and reduces the risk or severity of another heart attack.

The heart rehabilitation team includes your doctor, occupational therapists, nurses, dietitians, social workers and chaplains. All phases require a physician's referral.

Throughout rehabilitation, our staff will encourage open discussion and provide feedback to make sure your treatment is a positive and successful experience for you and your family.

Rehabilitation phases

Phase I begins in the hospital and is an interdisciplinary program of gradually increasing exercise and education during your hospitalization.

Phase II occurs shortly after discharge. It is a monitored outpatient program designed to build strength and endurance and identify risk factors. An individualized exercise and education program is developed to assist you with life-long risk factor management.

Phase III encourages long-term, heart healthy routines. Through a supervised exercise program, it monitors, reinforces and promotes the ongoing exercise habits learned in Phase II. It also provides continuing support and encourages changes necessary to maintain a healthier heart.

For congestive heart failure patients

For congestive heart failure (CHF) patients, HealthEast hospitals (including St. Joseph's, St. John's and Woodwinds) offer a unique, individualized rehabilitation program. The Heart Failure Rehabilitation Program combines a medically-supervised exercise program with education on symptoms, medication and diet to help CHF patients live healthier lives.