Cardiac Rehabilitation
An essential component of quality and quantity of life is a strong healthy heart. The heart is the most important muscle of the human body. It acts as a pump to provide nutrients and oxygen to the rest of our muscles. A strong heart is vital to maintain an active lifestyle of work, play and rest.
Merit Health Natchez strives to help patients achieve optimum heart health through our cardiac rehabilitation program.
Goals
Our primary goals are to:
- Provide therapeutic exercise to increase your strength and endurance.
- Motivate and encourage you to maintain a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Along with your physician, our skilled staff will closely monitor your progress. We will support and assist you in making healthy lifestyle changes.
Who benefits from the program?
The Merit Health Natchez cardiac rehabilitation program focuses on individuals who have known heart disease or are at risk for heart disease.
If you have had a heart attack, stent placement, bypass surgery, heart transplant, heart valve replacement or repair, stable angina or other cardiac illnesses you are eligible for our rehabilitation program.
What should you expect?
Patients in cardiac rehabilitation attend exercise classes 3 times per week. Each session lasts approximately one hour. Along with exercise, we discuss eating a heart-healthy diet, controlling high cholesterol, smoking cessation, regulating high blood pressure and stress management.
To participate in cardiac rehabilitation, you must have had a heart event or procedure within the past 12 months. With a physician’s referral, we develop an exercise plan to meet your specific needs. During exercise, our skilled staff monitors your heart rhythm, heart rate and blood pressure, to help ensure a safe, effective workout.
We focus on increasing your strength and endurance through aerobic and resistance training. Medicare and most insurance plans cover 36 visits in the program.
How to get started?
If you are interested in participating, please call to schedule an appointment to meet with us and tour our department.
Our program is certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR).
To schedule an appointment or if you have questions, please call us at (601) 443-2768.