Residents of the Sequatchie Valley and surrounding region now have access to a cardiac rehabilitation program closer to home at Erlanger Bledsoe.
Patients who have heart problems or received cardiac treatment at any of the area’s regional hospitals can participate in the rehabilitation program with their physician’s approval.
Prescribed exercises are performed with the use of state-of-the-art equipment to strengthen their heart and increase endurance. Patients will also be closely monitored by medical specialists from the Erlanger Bledsoe’s rehabilitation program, on-site internal medicine office, emergency room, and even UT Erlanger Cardiology in downtown
Chattanooga
.
“We find if patients do not succeed in some sort of normal activity, they will be afraid to push themselves if they are unsure what their heart can handle,” said program coordinator Travis Smith. ”The Cardiac Rehab Program increases endurance to safer levels with the least amount of health risk to the patient. The exercises also build confidence after the patient’s heart procedure, so he or she can return to normal activities.”
While the patient is exercising, the medical staff will have real-time access to the patient’s heart rhythm. The monitoring system allows the staff to quickly respond in case of medical emergencies.
Erlanger Bledsoe’s Cardiac Rehab program is available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Physician orders are required to schedule appointments. For more information, contact Erlanger Bledsoe at 447-5387.