More than 82 million Americans are living with one or more forms of cardiovascular disease (also known as heart disease), according to the American Heart Association. Treatment and lifestyle changes can improve the health of someone living with heart disease, as can cardiovascular rehabilitation.
In fact, the AHA says for people who have already experienced a cardiac event, cardiac rehab reduces the risk of a future cardiac event by stabilizing, slowing, or even reversing the progression of cardiovascular disease.
The western Nevada County community is fortunate to have a robust cardiac rehab program locally at Dignity Health Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. Under the expert guidance of two registered nurses and three exercise physiologists, along with education content from a physical therapist and nutritionist, SNMH Cardiac Rehabilitation offers a professionally supervised program designed to assist patients in recovery from heart attacks, coronary artery interventions, cardiovascular surgeries, and various cardiac conditions, as well as pulmonary rehabilitation.
“The goal is to help patients in their overall recovery from whatever may have brought them to us,” explains Kristy Cates, PT, Director of Cardiopulmonary and Rehabilitation Services at SNMH. “It is a multi-focal approach to their recovery and overall wellbeing with a combination of exercise and education that helps to be able to return that patient to their normal daily functions and activities as best they can. Providing this approach helps patients to also be better equipped to handle their medical needs going forward and helps improve self-advocacy for their general wellbeing.”
Many patients discover that the journey to better heart health doesn’t end when you leave the hospital following a cardiac event or diagnosis. Instead, that is just the beginning of a transformative experience that can reshape one’s lifestyle and health.
Dr. Robert Haight, a retired aerospace executive and Penn Valley resident, experienced the SNMH Cardiac Rehab Program firsthand.
“As I was in the recovery room after a stent procedure in a Bay Area hospital, I was trying to understand why, after years of annual cardiac exams, there was no clue that I had a 95% blockage of my right coronary artery,” Dr. Haight recalls. “After a while my thoughts turned to ‘what else is wrong with my vascular system’ and ‘how do I return to an active lifestyle of work and exercise safely.’”
Dr. Haight was discharged the day after his procedure and returned to Penn Valley.
“I continued to ruminate about my concerns,” he says. “As I reviewed my discharge package at home I saw a brochure for a Medicare-sponsored cardiac rehab program at Dignity Health Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital. I called the director, who gave me a description of the 12-week program. It sounded like the controlled exercise and detailed monitoring was exactly what I believed I needed to safely resume an active life.”
Dr. Haight signed up and began the rehabilitation program.
Located within the hospital, the rehabilitation gym is equipped with exercise equipment specifically selected to support patients recovering from cardiac care. Participants engage in 12 weeks of supervised exercises classes three days per week. Each patient is closely monitored using state-of-the-art telemetry equipment.
“The extensive medical monitoring during the entire program provides the staff with the ability to detect anomalies and immediately address the issue with the patient,” Dr. Haight says. “The staff at the hospital are nothing short of amazing.”
The impact of cardiac rehabilitation extends far beyond physical recovery. It offers a support system that addresses the psychological and emotional aspects of healing, fostering resilience in the face of life-altering events.
As the program emphasizes lifestyle changes, it equips individuals with the knowledge and tools to make sustainable choices, ensuring a heart-healthy future. The goal is to guide participants toward lasting changes that go beyond the confines of the program and to help them embrace a heart-healthy lifestyle for the long haul.
SNMH Foundation and the hospital’s Auxiliary have helped to fund the exercise equipment and technology needs of this important program over the years, making it truly a program for the community, made possible by the community.
“The support from the community is especially appreciated,” Cates says. “It gives us great joy to know that the care our donors received inspired them to give to the program so that others can benefit from the program like they have.”
