Tampa General's Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is designed to improve cardiovascular fitness, function and knowledge in a safe and enjoyable way for people with heart disease or who have had cardiac surgery. Additionally, our team provides personal care treatment programs tailored specifically to each patient's needs.
What is Cardiac Rehabilitation?
Cardiac rehabilitation is clinically proven to strengthen your heart, reduce your chances of returning to the hospital and can increase your life expectancy by as much as five years. The 12-week program consists of either 1-on-1 or group sessions (up to 36 sessions depending on how quickly the patient progresses), which are all supervised by nurses and cardiac therapists and is entirely personalized based on your health history, medications and physical strength.
Who needs Cardiac Rehabilitation?
If you are recovering from a heart attack, heart failure, or other heart problem that required surgery or medical care, cardiac rehabilitation is an important part of your recovery. In addition to improving your overall fitness and your ability to complete daily activities, cardiac rehabilitation can help prevent another, perhaps more serious, heart attack and can help you build heart-healthy habits. Our world-class program is staffed by team members who have been trained using standards set by the American Heart Association. Your program will be overseen by a specialized cardiologist, in order to ensure that you are placed on the best path for your improvement.
In general, we see patients who have or have had:
- Heart attacks
- Coronary artery disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Heart valve disease
- Heart transplant
- Coronary revascularization with stents or bypass surgery
- Placement of mechanical assist devices (MAD)
- Valve repair and/or replacement
Many patients enter TGH’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Program following hospitalization. Our rehab program has the goal of preventing additional cardiac events for patients and improving your quality of life.
What are the Phases of Cardiac Rehabilitation?
Phase I of the recovery process begins while a patient is in the hospital after a cardiac event. Once the patient is able to walk, a physical therapist will perform an evaluation to determine what the patient is able to do physically at a baseline. This sets the stage for the next phase of rehab.
Phase II is a 12-week outpatient program consisting of three sessions per week (up to 36 sessions total) of progressive monitored exercise. Patients will be evaluated and given a treatment plan. Our dedicated team includes exercise physiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurse clinicians, and other medical staff who will create a highly personalized plan for the patient, based on his or her overall health, condition and treatment goals. The patient’s heart rate and heart rhythm are continuously monitored with a mobile ECG telemetry system throughout the Phase II program to ensure the safest possible environment.
During this phase, the patient is also provided educational materials, support group resources, and counseling regarding heart disease, diabetes, medications, nutrition and weight loss, stress management, mental health, risk factor identification, modification, and smoking cessation.
Our on-site physician reviews the patient’s exercise program and their progress throughout Phase II. Once cleared, the patient can graduate from Phase II.
Upon graduation from Phase II, patients are eligible for Phase III, which is an individualized exercise program designed to last the patient's lifetime. We will help the patient find a suitable local gym for options in continued care.
How to Enroll in the Cardiac Rehab Program
We're pleased to offer our Cardiac Rehabilitation program at TGH Brooksville and TGH Crystal River. Call a location near you to speak with a member of our team and enroll in the program:
- TGH Brooksville Cardiac Rehabilitation - (352) 576-5377
- TGH Crystal River Cardiac Rehabilitation - (352) 576-5694