| Listen
to your heart
February is heart month and St. Mary’s Hospital offers programs to help you take excellent care of yours. Cardiac rehabilitation, which includes a personalized exercise program along with education, advice on diet, and emotional support, can serve as a powerful prescription for improved heart health. It helps patients with heart disease, or those who have recently had surgery, to get stronger and be healthier. “We watch their heart rate and rhythm, monitor blood pressure, and keep a close eye on their oxygen level,” says Angela Pack, Respiratory Therapist at St. Mary’s. “We also provide information about life style changes, keep a close eye on their weight, and provide information about heart disease, managing signs and symptoms, and what they need to watch out for.” “We see all different types of patients,” continues Pack. “Some people need it just to build up their strength and endurance after surgery, other people just need their heart rate and rhythm monitored to learn what they need to do. We have patients who prefer the interaction with others and the emotional support of people who understand what they are going through. For the provider’s, it’s knowing that their patients are being monitored and educated along the way.” “I love that I am helping people,” says Pack. “Being there for them, educating them, and watching them improve every day is incredibly rewarding. Most patients start out working 10 – 15 minutes and gradually build up to 60 minutes. I also love that I get to work with their doctors and sometimes we can prevent, or have early intervention, something that could have been much worse.” If you or someone you know could benefit by our Cardiac Rehab program, please speak to your provider or call St. Mary’s Hospital @ 208-962-3251 for more information. 
Angela Pack, Respiratory Therapist at St. Mary’s Hospital. Photo provided by Kim Johnson. |
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