Written by Toni Lavigne-Conway | Special to the Valley Gazette
Recovery after a heart event often requires rehabilitation, but for patients, especially those in rural areas like ours, this typically involves frequent and lengthy trips to specialized hospitals like the University of Heart Institute (UOHI) where they received their initial treatment. However, an innovative partnership between the UOHI and our own St. Francis Memorial Hospital (SFMH) is changing that.
Thanks to this collaboration, patients have access to cardiac rehabilitation and cardiopulmonary programs, allowing them to recover closer to home and eliminating the need for extensive travel.
Lee Kelly, a registered nurse at SFMH who is currently managing the program, expressed the importance of having a program like this to serve patients in our area. “We are rural and very fortunate to have access to a program like this. Our patients are very happy they don’t have to travel to Ottawa to participate in the program.”
Mrs. Kelly explained that the program, which has been running for over a decade now, “helps patients be more successful at managing their risk factors and prevents further progression of their heart disease or another cardiac event.”
Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
The main components of the program involve monitored exercise, nutrition and weight loss counseling, healthy living education, as well as support with smoking cessation if needed.
One-hour sessions run twice weekly, with two classes each held on Wednesday and Friday mornings, accommodating five people per class.
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