Helping Hearts

Helping Hearts

Cardiac Rehabilitation program helps cardiac patients on the road to recovery.

As if having a heart attack or open heart surgery isn’t scary enough, the most difficult times for heart patients often lie in the months that follow their cardiac event. Recovery includes major lifestyle changes, such as diet, exercise and medications which can be intimidating. To help alleviate anxiety, Little Company of Mary offers a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program. For more than 30 years, this program has helped heart patients gain an understanding of their disease, as well as the tools they need to lead healthy, productive lives.

Carol Sukimoto checks in with patient Bill Meistrell.

“Our program is very structured,” Carol Sukimoto, director of cardiac rehabilitation said. “We begin the first phase working with patients in the hospital. We review their history and risk factors, explain prescribed medications and give them instructions for home. We spend a lot of time with them, discussing how to make changes that will keep their hearts healthy.”

In the second phase of the program, patients visit the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center located in Redondo Beach. The initial appointment consists of an assessment that often lasts an hour or more. Patients are also set up with their individual exercise program, which typically consists of a one-hour session, three days a week, for 12 to 18 weeks. Along with exercise, patients participate in classes that address other lifestyle alterations such as nutrition, smoking cessation and medication education. Continue »

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