Cardiac Rehabilitation

About the Program
Guthrie’s cardiac rehabilitation program is tailored to meet the needs of each individual patient, depending upon the specific heart problem or disease. Throughout the three phases of the program, patients engage not only in physical conditioning, but also in educational classes geared toward helping patients change their lifestyle through smoking cessation, better eating, medication management, counseling and more.

Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital, Ithaca regional office and Troy Community Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs Certified by American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR)

The AACVPR recommends certification to assure that programs meet the essential standards of care for cardiac rehabilitation, and with the hope that certification will strengthen organizations’ commitment to these standards and the enhancement of cardiac rehabilitation. In order to attain certification, cardiac rehabilitation staff were required to submit an extensive application that outlined the program’s policies and procedures, as well as featuring sample patient care profiles to demonstrate the practical application of the program. "AACVPR certification is a rigorous process that requires all policies to be implemented and in place for over a year. Keeping certification requires incredible attention to detail on a daily basis to maintain program quality," said Cardiac Rehab Nurse Ginny Graydon, RN. Currently, Robert Packer Hospital, Ithaca regional office and Troy Community Hospital’s cardiac rehabilitation programs are all certified by the AACVPR.

Cardiac Rehabilitation and Risk Factor Reduction Program
Guthrie’s Cardiac Rehabilitation and Risk Factor Reduction Program is a comprehensive, three-phase plan for improving the quality of life for those individuals recovering from heart disease. Cardiac Rehab provides a safe and effective program that includes exercise, education and support. To participate in Guthrie’s multi-phase Cardiac Rehab program, you will need a physician referral (prescription). You will then have an evaluation with the Cardiac Rehab team. Throughout your rehabilitation, you will learn to exercise at a pace that is appropriate for you. Guthrie Cardiac Rehab utilizes a team approach to speed you on your way to better cardiac health. The team is composed of physicians, exercise physiologists, cardiac rehab nurses, pharmacists and dietitians, all focused on one purpose: to work with you to create a healthy lifestyle. Cardiac Rehab is offered at Guthrie locations in Sayre and Troy, PA, and in Ithaca and Corning, NY.

Phase 1
Phase 1 begins during your hospital stay. This phase includes education and a referral to a Cardiac Rehab program in your area. The goal of this phase is to identify and provide education on your controllable risk factors, including:

High blood pressure
Elevated cholesterol levels
Lack of physical activity
Smoking/tobacco use
Stress
Obesity

Phase 2
The goals of phase 2 Cardiac Rehab are to meet your educational needs and to improve your fitness in a structured and safe environment. The Cardiac Rehab staff will establish an exercise program that you will utilize while your heart rate, rhythm and blood pressure are monitored. Staff members will continuously assess your health status for any changes. Your physician will receive regular progress reports.You should be able to confidently exercise independently upon completing phase 2. Phase 2 is recognized as a covered service by most insurance carriers if you have had one of the following: open heart surgery, coronary artery bypass surgery, heart valve replacement, heart transplant, heart attack, angioplasty, stent, or stable angina. Let us know if we can be of any assistance in verifying your insurance coverage.

Phase 3
In phase 3, you will continue to modify your risk factors as needed while you maintain the lifestyle changes you made previously. The focus of phase 3 is independence. You will check your heart rate during exercise, while the rehab staff monitors your blood pressure before and after each session. In phase 3, you will apply the education you received regarding risk factor modification and proper exercise.

American Heart Association scientific statement:
Physicians should aggressively encourage patients to exercise and follow cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention protocols to prevent recurrent heart attacks, the American Heart Association recommends in its updated scientific statement on cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.

The benefits of exercise-based rehabilitation includes a summary of research findings that shows average cardiac death was 26 percent lower in rehabilitation patients who were exercise-trained compared with those who received “usual care.” There were also 21 percent fewer nonfatal heart attacks, 13 percent fewer bypass surgeries and 19 percent fewer angioplasties in the exercise-trained people.

Specific benefits of the exercise training component are improved functional capacity for the patient, improved blood vessel function, improvement in cardiovascular risk factors, improved coronary blood flow, improved electrical stability of the heart muscle (thus reducing the risk of a fatal heart rhythm disturbance), reduced risk of blood clots and reduced cardiac work and oxygen requirements.