Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

Our Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program is available to anyone who has chronic lung disease, asthma, emphysema or undergone lung surgery. Depending on your particular diagnosis, you may enter our program through a referral from your physician.

Inpatient Care

If you are hospitalized for a lung-related problem, your physician will refer you to the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program. During your stay, you and your family will learn what contributed to your lung condition. You will also be instructed in taking medications and how they work. The gradual and progressive activities in our program will help you feel stronger and more comfortable about resuming you every day activities.

Returning Home

A short convalescent period with minimal activity initially is usually "doctor's orders" upon your return home from your inpatient stay. At your follow-up appointment with your physician, you can discuss referral into the outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program.

The Program

The primary goal of our Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program is to improve the quality of your life.  We consider your personal needs and lifestyle to ensure the road back to good health is a comfortable one.  Through education and exercise, this program can help you identify and modify your risk factors.  Risk factors, which increase the chance of developing lung disease, include:

• Smoking
• Allergy
• Heredity
• Environmental Pollution
• Occupational Dust and Fumes
• Lung Infections
• Second Hand Smoke

 

Participants in the program get a comprehensive evaluation by the outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Team.  This evaluation consists of:

• Nursing Assessment
• Graded Exercise Test or Walk Test
• Pulmonary Function Test
• Body Composition Measurement

The results of your overall evaluation then become the basis for a personal exercise prescription.  Structured therapeutic exercise sessions and education classes are offered.  These sessions and classes meet two times per week for up to twelve weeks.  The exercise sessions include:

• Warm Up and Cool Down Stretching Exercises
• Dynamic Aerobic Exercises on Equipment including Treadmills, Stairmasters, Cycles, Rowing Machines, Recumbent Cycles, and Arm Ergometers
• Strength Training and Free Weights

 

Heart rate, blood pressure, pulse oximetry and symptomatic responses are continuously monitored during exercise sessions.  If indicated, a follow-up exercise test or walk test may be performed to help assess progress and modify exercise prescriptions.

Our interdisciplinary team of professionals includes nurses, exercise physiologists, dieticians, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and behavioral health specialists.  Together with your physicians, a program is tailored to meet your needs and abilities. While our program is one of the largest, most extensive in the area, we take pride in knowing the strengths and weaknesses, hopes and dreams of each of our clients.

Upon completion of the outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation program, all participants go into a maintenance program.  A key component of the maintenance program is exercise.  We develop an exercise program specifically for you, which may be continued at our facilities, at home, or at any local health club or YMCA. We will teach you how to monitor yourself so you can exercise safely and with peace of mind.  From aerobic exercise to health-related lectures, our holistic approach to Pulmonary Rehabilitation is geared toward you and your life.

Insurance Coverage

Major health insurance companies cover most components of outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation. Check with your insurance carrier to insure eligibility for reimbursement.