Patient Care
Rehabilitation Services
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiac Rehabilitation at Tomah Memorial Hospital is a medically supervised outpatient exercise program designed to assist heart patients with their recovery from a heart attack or heart surgery. It includes both cardiac monitored exercise and educational components.
The program is ordered by your healthcare provider and generally covered by insurance to include three sessions per week for up to 36 sessions within an 18 week time period in the cardiac rehab department.
The goals of the program are to:
- Promote positive lifestyle changes including exercise, nutrition, weight loss, stress management, and smoking cessation
- Enable you to resume usual activities for work and pleasure
- Provide patient and family support
A Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist (RCEP) and Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) work closely with each patient to develop an individualized exercise program based on his/her abilities. During each session your heart rate, blood pressure, heart rhythm, and overall responses to exercise are monitored carefully to allow a safe and gradual progression. Exercise can help to reduce resting heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol, body weight, body fat, and stress, while increasing the capacity for physical activity.
Throughout the course of cardiac rehab, educational components are taught to aid patients in understanding their heart disease and risk factor modification. Topics include anatomy/physiology of the heart, exercise principles, diet modification through a nutrition class, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, stress reduction, and smoking cessation support.
Family members are welcome to attend as group support and encouragement will reinforce the commitment to a heart healthy lifestyle. Appointments are held every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Program Benefits
Success in cardiac rehab is based on the individual’s level of participation. From a clinical standpoint, individuals who regularly participate are likely to have a better quality of life and long-term outcome following heart disease.
Financial Considerations
Your health insurance company will often cover a large portion of the cost for cardiac rehabilitation. We recommend you check with your carrier to verify coverage. If it is not a covered benefit, we can help you to pursue other resources that may be available to you.
Looking for a monitored exercise program tailored to your individual needs?
Heart & Sole™ is a medically supervised exercise and education program available at Tomah Memorial Hospital to anyone who has known heart disease or is at high risk for developing heart disease based on a risk factor profile. Our Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist and Licensed Practical Nurse create an exercise program that is tailored to each participant’s needs. Staff monitor heart rate and blood pressures, and provide exercise instruction through the use of state-of-the-art equipment such as treadmills, recumbent bikes, a total body recumbent stepper, arm ergometers, and hand weights. Participants choose a one-hour time slot on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, and there is a monthly fee involved, which is not typically covered by insurance. We recommend that you check with your insurance carrier to verify coverage. If is not a covered benefit, we can help you pursue other resources that may be available.
For more information, contact Shana Steele, MS Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist at (608) 374-0358.
