Cardiac Rehabilitation

Take Steps to Prevent A Second Heart Attack

People who have had a heart attack can cut their risk of another heart attack by 28 percent if they participate in a formal cardiac rehabilitation program, according to a 2011 study published by the American Heart Association. Despite this positive benefit, only 10 to 30 percent of patients nationally undertake rehabilitation.

At Adena, our supportive outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program has resulted in much higher rates of participation. Last year alone, more than 900 new patients joined our cardiac rehab program, and we served more than 5,500 patients in cardiac rehab.

Yet we are able to maintain small classes and individualized services, creating a personalized and trusting environment. We offer services to patients with a range of cardiac conditions, including open-heart surgery, stent placement, heart attack, and pulmonary problems.

When you participate in Adena’s cardiac rehab program, we’ll assign a nurse to meet with you and look over your individual case. This nurse will check in with you periodically throughout your enrollment in the program and can assist with answering questions and tailoring the program to meet your individual needs.

Adena’s cardiac rehab program offers regular group exercise classes that usually have 6-7 participants each. “Our classes are small enough to allow cardiac patients to develop important relationships with others who are going through something similar,” says Wendi Graves, director of Adena’s cardiac rehab program.

In addition to creating a customized exercise program to help patients regain their heart health, our team also provides nutritional counseling and lifestyle management. For instance, many patients don’t realize that they will need to adjust their exercise and even their daily living when the weather turns cold.

“Changing weather can have an effect on breathing, especially for pulmonary patients,” explains Graves. “We teach them how to plan and manage their health in the heat or cold.