Making Your Cardiac Comeback
Both heart disease and pulmonary diseases impact patients and their families, and prompt some of life’s biggest challenges and changes. Making a cardiac comeback after heart surgery or coping with respiratory disease requires individual determination backed by a supportive team. That’s why Outer Banks Health offers Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
Participating in cardiovascular or pulmonary rehab helps you to regain physical strength, cardiovascular capacity, and pulmonary function. These are important outcomes; however, one of the most important outcomes is overcoming the fear that often lingers after a cardiac event or a new pulmonary diagnosis.
Many cardiovascular and pulmonary patients have concerns about returning to a life that includes all of the activities that they once enjoyed. Cardiovascular and pulmonary rehab helps patients achieve the confidence they need to return to a full, active, and hopeful life. Three programs are offered through Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation: Cardiac Rehab, Pulmonary Rehab, and Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Supervised Exercise Training (SET). Most insurance companies will cover most, if not all, of our services.
Our programs focus on these keys to a healthy cardiovascular and pulmonary system:
- Exercise – a customized exercise plan, including guidelines for exercising at home and after completing the program
- Nutrition – a well-balanced diet, weight management, and nutrition assessments
- Behavior modification – managing risk factors like tobacco cessation, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, and stress
One of our main goals is to prepare and equip you to continue physical activity and healthy lifestyle changes after completing our rehabilitation programs.
Our team consists of a medical director, registered nurses, exercise physiologist, dietitian, and respiratory therapists who team with the referring physicians to develop an individualized rehabilitation program for each of our patients.
Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
Outer Banks Health offers a medically supervised exercise and rehabilitation program for individuals who have experienced heart problems such as:
- Stable angina (chest pain)
- Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
- Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG)
- Valve repair or replacement
- Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Stent placement
- Chronic Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
- Heart transplant
Designed to assist with a safe recovery, the program includes collaboration with cardiologists, cardiac nurses, exercise physiologists, dietitians, and respiratory therapists. Our cardio-focused program uses supervised exercise and rehabilitation strategies, like education on lifestyle modifications, to help our patients achieve and then maintain a heart-healthy status.
Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program
The pulmonary rehabilitation program works to meet the needs of individuals with chronic respiratory disorders or after an individual has had a lung surgery. Pulmonary rehab may help reduce and control breathing difficulties and other symptoms of lung disease. We strive to help you achieve your highest level of independence and physical ability.
Services benefit those who have lung conditions such as:
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Emphysema
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Sarcoidosis
- Lung surgery
- And many more
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Supervised Exercise Training (SET) Program
The Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) Supervised Exercise Training (SET) Program is geared towards those with PAD, a condition where the arteries in the lower legs are damaged with decreased blood flow. PAD causes notable pain that goes away with rest. We offer an individualized walking program designed to train the leg muscles to work with less oxygen and ultimately allow individuals to walk further without leg pain.
Outer Banks Health Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation is located on the second floor of the Medical Office Building behind the hospital. Physician referral is required to participate in the state-licensed, Medicare-approved program.
For more information, call 252-449-5930. The fax number is 252-449-4528.
