Lack of access and inability to travel long distances is often cited as reasons why patients outside of city centres don’t follow up with much needed treatment. The Leduc Cardiac Rehabilitation Program was created to meet the growing need of local patients to receive quality care without having to travel into Edmonton. This program will help reduce fears about physical activity after a cardiac event and may improve quality of life. The program, which began seeing patients in 2013, was created through a partnership between the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network (PCN) the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital and the Leduc Recreation Centre. The program has received over 190 referrals since the program began and 97% of patients who complete this program rate it as excellent or very good.
Cardiac rehabilitation (cardiac rehab) provides exercise, education and counselling designed to support recovery after a heart attack, other heart condition or procedure. This personalized program may help regain strength, prevent conditions from getting worse and reduces the risk of having heart problems in the future.
Who should attend cardiac rehab?
• A person who recently had a cardiac event or procedure such as a:
o Heart attack (Myocardial Infarction or MI)
o MI leading to stent
o Bypass
o Valve replacement or repair
• Adults over 18 years
• Must have a PCN family doctor
• Low to moderate risk factors
The benefits of cardiac rehab
Cardiac rehabilitation will help you regain your strength and independence, and overcome your anxieties and fears. You’ll learn how to make heart-healthy living a part of your life – for the rest of your life. And along the way, you’ll also meet a support group of professionals and people just like you dealing with the same challenges you face each day.
How does someone get referred to the program?
After the patient has had an event such as a heart attack, bypass, valve replacement or repair and upon discharge from a city hospital, the staff at the hospital will send a referral to the Leduc Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. Once received, a member of the Leduc Cardiac Rehabilitation Program will review the referral to ensure the patient is appropriate for our program. If they are deemed appropriate, a member of the program will contact the patient within 1-2 weeks to book an appointment for an initial assessment with the program physician and to start the program.
If our program is full, the patient will be given the option to wait for the next intake session or the referral can be sent back to the discharging hospital or to the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute in Edmonton.
The Leduc Cardiac Rehabilitation Program includes support from and access to these PCN healthcare professionals:
• Medical Doctor
• Exercise Specialist
• Registered Nurse
• Registered Dietitian
Leduc Cardiac Rehabilitation Team left to right:
Dr. Justin Balko
Corinne Cutler, PCN Exercise Specialist
Cherie deBoer, PCN Registered Nurse
Dr. Keith Barry
What happens during the initial assessment appointment?
Initial appointments typically happen at the Leduc Beaumont Devon Primary Care Network office in Leduc. Patients are greeted by a program team member and vital signs will be taken by either our Registered Nurse or Exercise Specialist. They will then have their waste circumference measured and grip strength assessed.
The patient will then see the program physician and undergo a complete physical. If the physician clears the patient to enter the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, they will be given an appointment time to move to the next step. Sometimes additional testing (stress test) may be required before the patient can move on and become a program participant.
What are the next steps?
Within 1 week, the program participants will join our healthcare team at the Leduc Recreation Centre (LRC) where all remaining appointments in the 8 week program will take place. Our staff will meet the participants in the lobby of the LRC and walk them upstairs to the education room. Information packages are handed out and the participants are told what to expect out of the program. There, each participant will undergo a medication, nutrition and activity assessment and together with the healthcare professionals, they will set goals such as managing stress, managing weight, decrease blood pressure and improve their emotional state. Each participant will do a 6 minute walk test while wearing a heart rate monitor. Based on all information gathered in this appointment, a program will be designed specifically for each participant.
Participants are provided guidance with appropriate exercise and they will attend heart health education classes at the LRC. A support person is welcome to attend these sessions with the patient as well.
After the 8 week program is over, all participants will be reassessed by the team and will be encouraged to continue the healthy lifestyle activities they learned in class and are introduced to the staff at the LRC for continued support with physical activity. After 6 months, all program participants will be seen again for a follow up assessment at that time. If continued 1-on-1 support is required, that will be given. If not, they are discharged from the program.
PATIENT TESTIMONIALS:
“Excellent program. Highly recommended.”
“I’m quite pleased with the topics covered and the concerns brought to my attention”
“So nice to do this in Leduc instead of Edmonton. Would be nice to have program 3 times per week (instead of once). Staff are awesome”
“Great staff, very friendly”
“The staff make you feel comfortable and safe”
Want to learn more?
If you think you would benefit from supervised exercise and heart health education please ask your LBD PCN family physician for a referral to the Leduc Cardiac Rehabilitation Program or call our office at 780-986-6624.
Printed in the Leduc Representative March 4, 2016
