 Proper and aggressive follow-up care is essential in helping cardiac patients get back to an active life.
The St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center team includes cardiopulmonary specialists, clinicians, nurses, techs, and education specialists dedicated to providing expert medical care, with strong emotional support.
When you prepare to leave the hospital after heart surgery, the Heart Center staff will spend time talking with you about what you can expect during your recovery period. You will receive instructions and advice about care of your incision, pain relief, swelling, medications, diet and activity, return to work, emotional considerations, cardiac rehabilitation options and more.
Accredited Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
The overall goal of cardiac rehabilitation is to facilitate the recovery process, provide education about cardiac disease, and promote wellness through risk factor modification so that patients can return to an optimal fitness level as quickly as possible.
The St. Joseph Heart & Vascular Center’s cardiac recovery and rehabilitation program provides one-on-one instruction and counseling for people who have experienced a heart attack or undergone cardiac surgery. In addition to learning how to modify lifestyle to reduce the risk of cardiac disease, patients receive an individualized exercise prescription.
The program uses telemetry (a portable heart monitor) to monitor patients safely during programmed exercise sessions. Request a referral from your physician.
You can reach the Heart & Vascular Center’s cardiac rehabilitation by calling 253-426-6768.
Heart-Healthy Education
The Heart Center works with patients and their families to modify eating habits and, if necessary, help eliminate smoking through ongoing classes. For a complete listing of Franciscan Health System classes and events, including schedules and fees, visit our class/event schedules page.
Cardiac Surgery Booklet
Our Cardiac Surgery booklet is designed to help you and your family through the experience of open-heart surgery. The book outlines what you may expect as you enter the hospital and as you prepare to go home. It is important to know as much about the procedure as possible. |