OSF St. Francis Hospital Rehabilitation Services includes a full-service Cardiac Rehabilitation program designed to restore and maintain the physiological, psychological and vocational aspects of an individual with diagnosed cardiac disease. The primary goal is to help patients maintain and in many cases improve their quality of life by functioning at the highest possible physical and emotional level they are capable of attaining. A holistic approach to patient care is achieved through the careful coordination and cooperation of a multidisciplinary team.

Using a two-phase approach, the program helps individuals:

• optimize physical capacity--hospital stay is minimized and recovery accelerated through progressive monitored exercise
• assume a healthy lifestyle--formal and informal education of patient and family members promotes positive lifestyle changes through continuous motivation and emotional support
• learn to cope with heart disease--patients achieve independence and decreased anxiety through continuous motivation and emotional support

Who is Eligible?

• Any patient who has had a recent myocardial infarction (heart attack)
• Any patient who has had recent coronary bypass surgery
• Patients hospitalized in regional centers for cardiac surgery or other cardiac procedures who live in this area

Phase I
During hospitalization, patients participating in the Phase I cardiac rehabilitation program are motivated and encouraged by the cardiac rehabilitation team to safely attain the highest physical and mental capacity possible prior to discharge. The program focuses on two basic types of cardiac disease: medical patients with acute myocardial infarction and medical patients with coronary artery disease other than myocardial infarction. Both the exercise and education components of the program respond to the unique needs of these disease categories.

Exercise
Under the general direction of a physician, a graded cardiovascular program facilitated by specially trained cardiac rehabilitation therapists is an effective means of restoring the cardiovascular system to maximal physical capacity. EKG-monitored, progressive exercise minimizes the recovery period for cardiac patients by strengthening the heart muscle and increasing the patient's activity tolerance level. Exercise is initiated at the bedside and progresses to calisthenics, walking in the hall and using cardiovascular exercise equipment.

Education
Expanding a patient's knowledge and understanding of heart disease helps reduce anxiety and improve his or her ability to make positive lifestyle changes. The Phase I education program consists of individual instruction for the patient and family.

Individual classes offered include:

• Risk Factor Modification
• Anatomy and Physiology of the Heart
• Nutrition and Your Heart
• Stress Management
• Taking Your Pulse
• Home Exercise
• Medications
• Relaxation Therapy

Family members may attend classes.

Phase II
For many patients, the Phase II outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program is a continuation of the progress made during inpatient therapy (Phase I). For patients with cardiac disease that does not warrant hospitalization, Phase II offers the education and rehabilitation they need. The program is structured to provide each participant with exercise, education and motivation necessary to achieve optimal physical and mental capacity.

Exercise
Under the general direction of a physician, a graded cardiovascular program, facilitated by specially trained cardiac rehabilitation therapists, is an effective means of restoring the cardiovascular system to maximal physical capacity. EKG-monitored, progressive exercise minimizes the recovery period for cardiac patients by strengthening the heart muscle and increasing the patient's activity tolerance level. Carefully supervised exercise sessions use state-of-the-art cardiovascular exercise equipment, coordinated with the participant's home exercise program.

Education
Through patient education, participants are encouraged to attain independence and to assume responsibility for recovery and well-being. Retention of information is generally poor during a hospital stay, so continuation of the educational program in Phase II reinforces and supplements instruction provided in Phase I. The program focuses on improving quality of life by making positive lifestyle changes through risk modification. Educational needs of each participant are assessed during the first outpatient visit. Based on this assessment, an instructional plan is developed using appropriate components of the formal and informal education listed under Phase I.

Educational lectures for participants is offered during Phase II. Each is approximately 45 minutes in length and held on every Wednesday of the eight-week program.

For more information about the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at OSF St. Francis Hospital, call Rehabilitation Services at 906786-5707 x5300, or toll-free in the Upper Peninsula at 1-800-786-2040 x5300.