The staff and patients of Hendrick Cardiac Rehabilitation gathered to celebrate the program’s 30 year anniversary today.
Cardiac Rehabilitation uses closely monitored exercise, education and emotional support to help patients recover after undergoing surgery or being hospitalized or due to heart-related incidents.
Hendrick cardiologist Doctor Gibbs Wilson says he has seen tremendous success with the patients that have gone through the program, “A lot of times when they come to Cardiac Rehab, they get this sense of what they can do. So as they kind of progress over the course of the 12 week program, a lot of times they’re back in my office saying how much better they feel and how much more they feel like they can do.”
One such patient is Mike Parsons. Parsons has coronary artery disease, and he says that causes him to have heart problems about every five years. He is now in his sixth round of treatment at Cardiac Rehab, “When I walked through those doors I had two grandkids. I’ve got 16 now, and I wouldn’t have probably got to see all 16 of those if I hadn’t been through those doors.”
Parsons says despite somewhat frequent heart events, the tools and knowledge he has gained through the program have allowed him to avoid permanent damage to his heart.