Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
The foundation of Stamford Hospital's Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, located at the Tully Health Center, is that exercise is one of the most powerful weapons in helping people to change their lifestyle. Numerous studies have demonstrated that exercise is exceptionally beneficial for men and women with heart disease.
Stamford Hospital's Cardiac Rehabilitation Program features telemetry monitoring for phase 2 cardiac patients, along with a supervised wellness or maintenance program for those who don't require close monitoring. Exercise physiologists supervise patients during exercise classes. The physician who directs the program is onsite at all times during the exercise program. A computer-based T1 management course is offered to patients, taking into account their nutritional needs, obesity, stress and smoking cessation. Finally, the program offers patients an opportunity to socialize with others who have similar problems, and a structured and safe environment in which to exercise.
People who can benefit from cardiac rehab:
- Have heart disease such as chronic angina or heart failure
- Have had a heart attack (myocardial infarction)
- Have had percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or coronary stenting
- Have had coronary bypass surgery
- Have had heart valve repair/replacement
- Have had a heart transplant
The Keys to Heart Health
Exercise Regularly... physical activity that is tailored to your abilities, needs, and interests.
Education Learning... about your heart problem, its causes, treatments and how you can better manage it.
Counseling Advice... on why and how to change your lifestyle to lower your risk of future heart problems.
Behavior Change... learning specific skills to enable you to stop unhealthy behaviors such as smoking and develop new healthy behaviors such as following a heart-healthy diet.
How Does Cardiac Rehabilitation Work?
Our Cardiac Rehabilitation Program has two major components:
1. Exercise training to help you learn how to exercise safely, improve your cardiovascular stamina and strengthen your musculoskeletal system. Your exercise plan will be based on your individual ability, needs, and interests.
2. Education, counseling and training to help you understand your heart condition and find ways to reduce your risk of future heart problems. The cardiac rehab team will help you learn how to cope with the stress of adjusting to a new lifestyle and to deal with your fears about the future. Our program will help you to recognize and change unhealthy habits and establish new, healthier ones. Your initial rehab program will usually last for three months.
The Cardiac Rehab Team
Cardiac rehab services can involve many healthcare providers. Your team may include:
- Doctors (your family doctor, a cardiologist and our medical director)
- Psychologists or other behavior therapists
However, the most important member of your cardiac rehab team is you. No one else can make you exercise regularly, quit smoking or eat a healthy diet.
How to Get Started
Our staff is available to answer your questions. Call Cardiac Rehabilitation at 203-276-2184 to schedule an appointment and to see for yourself what cardiac rehabilitation is all about.
Fees
In general, most insurance companies including Medicare reimburse for cardiac rehabilitation services. We will gladly help determine if you are eligible to enroll in our program.