By Deborah Lathrop, RN, BSN, Denver Health’s cardiac rehabilitation coordinator
Thirty years ago, when a person had a heart attack, they recovered in the hospital for six weeks, knowing that the only activity he or she would be able to do for the next six weeks was walk from the bed to the bathroom. 
Times have changed and so has cardiac rehabilitation. Now, patients are encouraged to start walking the day they leave the hospital, which may be less than a week. Some even begin rehabilitation days after the attack, while in the hospital. 
Cardiac rehabilitation often involves both diet changes and exercise. Since the heart is still vulnerable after a cardiac event, cardiac rehabilitation offers medically supervised exercise. Patients often wear a heart monitor while exercising, which allows the patient to feel confident about the level of exercise. 
Heart events like heart attacks, heart surgery and heart failure are major events in a person’s life, and can be traumatic. Cardiac rehabilitation programs recognize that these events are both physical and emotional. Many programs have psychological components in the form of support groups, counseling, or vocational or occupational therapy to help patients move on to lead healthy, happy lives.
Denver Health has a new cardiac rehabilitation program, with a brand new, fully equipped exercise room.
The Denver Health Cardiac Rehabilitation program integrates not only education about how to create a more heart healthy lifestyle, and exercise training to improve heart health as well as overall physical health, but also support. The program provides a patient navigator to help patients schedule appointments, as well as a social worker and pharmacist to help throughout the rehabilitation process. In addition, patient support groups allow patients to talk with a counselor, and each other, about their experiences and required lifestyle changes. Smoking cessation classes and support are also available through the program.
Denver Health offers cardiac rehabilitation to patients with heart disease risk factors, heart failure and those who have suffered a heart attack. Denver Health’s integrated health care system allows physicians in the community health center clinics to recommend patients to the cardiac rehabilitation program in a seamless process. 
Editor’s note: For more information about the Denver Health cardiac rehabilitation program, or for information about possible candidacy for cardiac rehabilitation, call 303-436-8219.