Cardiac rehabilitation is the road to recovery for heart patients and it begins immediately after heart surgery or other cardiac care. Most southern Illinoisans will experience some form of cardiac care in their lifetimes. Regaining good health through guided exercise, diet and lifestyle change along with good disease management are important for a successful recovery and a healthy heart. At SIH hospitals, patients get this all-important cardiac rehabilitation from a nationally credentialed program that specializes in cardiac care.
The Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (CVP Rehab) program at SIH provides compassionate, coordinated quality care to patients. Nurses actively attend both state and national conferences to keep abreast of current techniques and the latest advancements in the field.
The team is a proud partner in SIH cardiovascular services and the last ‘piece of the puzzle’ in a patient’s recovery following life-changing events such as a heart attack, bypass surgery, or angina.
Cardiac rehabilitation begins during hospitalization with Phase I. This monitored care of hospitalized cardiac patients assists in their recovery and helps them gain strength. Phase II is an outpatient education/exercise program designed to care for patients who have just experienced bypass-surgery, a heart attack, or who have stable angina. After graduating from Phase II, patients enter Phase III, an eight-week to six-month maintenance program. The goal is to provide patients with the knowledge to assist them in modifying their risk factors.
Making lifestyle changes such as “kicking the habit” is a great start to a healthier heart. Smoking dramatically increases a person’s risk for heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, quitting reduces one’s chances for heart disease, even for long-time smokers. SIH-CVP rehabilitation programs offer a smoking cessation program through a collaborative effort of various health care professionals throughout the SIH system.
The cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs at Herrin Hospital and St. Joseph Memorial Hospital were among the first facilities in the country to receive the highest accreditation possible through the National Certification from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). This certification recognizes those programs that have been reviewed by the national AACVPR board and found to meet the essential requirements for standards of care. The AACVPR is a national, multi-disciplinary association dedicated to the improvement of clinical practice, promotion of scientific inquiry and advancement of education for the benefit of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation professionals and the patients they serve.
Norma Mandrell, corporate manager of SIH CVP Rehabilitation, is the Southern Region Chair of the State Board of Directors for the Illinois Society for Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation and a member of the prestigious American Association of Cardiovascular Pulmonary Rehabilitation. A trauma nurse specialist (TNS), Mandrell has a strong history in the critical care arena in both emergency room and intensive care units. Mandrell also possesses TNS (trauma nurse specialist), PHRN (pre-hospital registered nurse) and ANCC (American Nurse’s Credentialing Center) credentials.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in Illinois. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, each year more than 42,000 Illinoisans die from heart disease and annual deaths from CVD have remained virtually unchanged for the last ten years.
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