If you’ve been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or a chronic lung condition, or if you’ve had a major event such as a heart attack, one question is likely to haunt your recovery. What about the future? Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation is the way to regain the best possible health, improve your quality of life and build hope for the future.

McDowell Hospital’s commitment to the community shines through our cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Our quality of care is confirmed by the referrals we receive from top-notch healthcare facilities such as Asheville Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates, Asheville Thoracic Surgeons, Heart Path Rehabilitation at Mission Hospital and Asheville Cardiology Associates, as well as Duke Medical Center and other physicians around the region. Our specialists support the medical, emotional and social challenges you face as a result of heart and lung disease.

For more information, or to begin the referral process, please contact us using the online form [1] or call 828-659-5401.

Steps to Health

The effectiveness of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation is well established. It improves physical health and overall ability to function. It may stabilize or slow the progression of heart and lung disease. It may even help to reverse heart disease. But medical interventions are only one part of the healing process. Lifestyle changes may also be necessary, and that’s where your dedication and hard work make all the difference.

McDowell Hospital’s medically-supervised programs for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation begin when you’re still in the hospital and continue on an outpatient basis. When you’re ready, we develop programs for you to follow at home. No matter where treatment takes place, our multidisciplinary programs incorporate:

• Exercise: Our team develops an individualized exercise plan to help you rebuild muscle strength and endurance. Exercise is carefully monitored in an outpatient facility by health professionals trained to recognize and treat any symptoms of physical distress.

• Education: One of the best tools for recovery from heart or lung disease is to understand the disease process. Patients and their families learn about the specific medical condition, warning signs and symptoms, the importance of nutrition, and stressful and psychological effects on the heart.

• Support: Cardiopulmonary disease impacts much more than your physical health; it may also affect areas such as social, emotional and vocational health as well. How much exercise can I tolerate? Will I be able to go back to work? How do my family and I get over the fear of another heart attack? Our specialists are trained to help you and your family deal with all of these issues and more. Whatever support you need, we either provide it or we’ll refer you to appropriate resources such as Vocational Rehabilitation.

• Reducing Risk Factors: Lifestyle factors significantly influence your risk of cardiopulmonary diseases. We’ll help you reduce your risks by teaching you about these issues and by developing a plan to help you make any needed changes. The most common lifestyle considerations include stress management, maintaining normal blood pressure and cholesterol, healthy eating habits and quitting smoking.

Our Services

McDowell Hospital’s Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Department has two goals: to help you return to your highest functional capacity and to improve quality of life. To achieve this we offer two programs:

Cardiac Rehabilitation

In cardiac rehabilitation we treat people who have had a myocardial infarction, cardiovascular surgery, heart transplants, balloon angioplasty and angina pectoris. You may also be referred to the program if you have a family history of heart disease, or a medical condition or lifestyle factors that put you at a high risk for cardiovascular disease. This is a three-phased program:

• Phase I: Inpatient program for patients and their families with an emphasis on education.

• Phase II: Outpatient monitored cardiac therapy program at McDowell Hospital after discharge. Your heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen are carefully monitored by trained staff and telemetry, which continuously transmits essential information.

• Phase III: Community program based at the hospital. Our professionals work with you on cardiac conditioning, nutritional instruction, stress management and vocational counseling.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Our patients in pulmonary rehabilitation have been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. This is a group of lung diseases that block airflow, including emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, bronchiectasis and pulmonary or cystic fibrosis. We also treat patients preparing for, or recovering from, lung transplants.

The focus is on controlling symptoms, minimizing further damage to your lungs and learning to make the most effective use of your lung capacity. This is a 10- to 12-week program of individually designed exercise programs and lung maintenance activities, depending on diagnosis.

Our Team

Our team includes skilled specialists experienced in every issue affecting cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation:

• Medical Director with cardiac and respiratory expertise
• Registered nurses
• Respiratory therapist
• Dietitian
• Psychologist
• Exercise Specialist

Appointments and Information

To enter McDowell Hospital’s Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs, you’ll need a referral from your primary care physician or the doctor treating your cardiopulmonary condition.

For more information, or if you need help with a referral, please contact us using the online form [1], or call 828-659-5401

Insurance

The cardiac rehabilitation program at McDowell Hospital is certified by the North Carolina Department of Human Resources, and the pulmonary rehabilitation program carefully follows NC State and Medicare guidelines, so they’re covered, in part, by most major medical plans, including Medicare. We’ll file an insurance claim for your rehabilitation services, but please talk with your insurance provider to be sure you meet any qualification requirements they might have.

Location

Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation
McDowell Hospital
430 Rankin Dr.
Marion, NC 28752