February 8-14 is National Cardiac Rehab Week: Cardiac Rehabilitation at VMH—A Highly Utilized Local Service (Part II)

          Veterans Memorial Hospital began its own Cardiac Rehabilitation unit over three decades ago to help fulfill a need in the community—a need that has been and continues to be well utilized. Each of our Cardiac Rehabilitation sessions lasts approximately one hour and consists of a 5-minute warm-up, 30 minutes of aerobic activity, strength training, and a 5-minute cool down. Each patient also receives education on stress reduction, nutrition, medications and exercise during each session.  The Cardiac Rehabilitation unit at Veterans Memorial Hospital is fully equipped with a computerized treadmill, weighted pulleys, steps, and a NuStep machine.

            Jeff Morris of Lansing has also been a recent patient of the VMH Cardiac Rehab Unit.  He explains why.  "I went to the ER in La Crosse with some heart concerns. At first they couldn't find anything and were about to send me back home, but I knew there was something wrong with me, so I insisted they keep testing.  Sure enough, they did find an 80% blockage in one of my arteries.  They put in a stent a few days later and told me I needed to start a Cardiac Rehab program.  I said I wanted to come here because it was so much closer to home than La Crosse and they let me."

           "At first I was disappointed I didn’t feel any different after getting the stent,” Jeff continues.  “It wasn’t until I started the actual Cardiac Rehab program that I started feeling so much better.  This program has made a ton of difference.  I now feel better than I have in the last three years!”

            For more information on the Veterans Memorial Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation department, please call Veterans Memorial Hospital at 568-3411.