First, talk to your physician.  He/she is familiar with your medical history and can determine if the program would be beneficial to you.  Your physician also has access to the appropriate referral forms necessary to get you started. 

What happens next?

Your physician will fax the referral form to the cardiac rehab department.  Once it is reviewed, the rehab department will contact you to set up your first visit.

Your first visit will be for information gathering only.  You will be asked to bring your insurance cards and a list of your current medicines.  During the first meeting you will be asked to sign a release of information form so we can get your medical records.  These records are used to evaluate your past and present cardiac status and help us determine the most appropriate course of treatment.  The records we obtain are limited to those items necessary to evaluate and treat your cardiovascular condition and will be specifically listed on the release of information form.

We ask many of our patients to have a lipid profile drawn prior to starting the program.  If you need one, you will be given a voucher for a "free" test at the outpatient lab.

During session two, a rehab RN will perform a short assessment and ask you a few questions about your general health.  After a tour of the rehab department, the staff will show you how to apply your telemetry unit, which monitors your heart rate and rhythm.  Finally, you will have your first exercise session.  A member of the rehab staff will work one-on-one to show you the safe and proper way to use the equipment and get you started on your regimen.  This first session is light and designed to get you acquainted with the staff and equipment.  From here on out, the intensity and duration will increase and you will exercise in a group setting.