For 30 years, Suburban Hospital’s Cardiac Rehab Department has helped heart disease victims learn how to eat better, exercise and get support.
When the program began in 1983, between four and six patients came to each session. Now, the Cardiac Rehab staff at Suburban (8600 Old Georgetown Rd.) can work with up to 25 patients at a time after three renovations to accomodate a growing number of heart attack victims and those recuperating from valve replacement and bypass surgeries.
“We know that cardiac rehabilitation after a heart attack or cardiac surgery can prolong the life of people with coronary artery disease,” said Dr. Greg Kumkumian, medical director of the Cardiac Rehab Center at Suburban Hospital, in a prepared release. ”Our skilled staff is uniquely attuned to the needs of cardiac patients. We encourage and teach our patients how they can live a full and active live after a heart event.”
The program includes consultations with a dietitian and monitored exercise that has kept some patients for more than 20 years. Fifty percent of the patients, who range in age from 18 to 97, continue in the rehab program. The department treats more than 350 new patients per year.
Photo via Suburban Hospital
