Newsroom
Pulmonary Rehab Recognized
Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at Rush Oak Park Hospital Earns National Certification
Oak Park, IL
(October 8, 2008) —
For helping patients with lung disorders breathe easier, the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at Rush Oak Park Hospital has received national certification from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
The 10-week outpatient program incorporates exercise, nutrition and education to improve the lives of patients with lung disorders and chronic lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. In conjunction with their lung diseases, many patients have other health problems, including diabetes and hypertension.
“Achieving the certification for the program itself is wonderful, but the outcomes of our patients are what we are the most proud of, because our patients are really doing well,” says Karen Sanders-Ford, manager of Respiratory and Pulmonary Rehab Services at Rush Oak Park Hospital. “After they’ve completed the program, many lose a lot of weight. They get their diabetes and other diseases more controlled, and they’re able to live better lives.”
Patients who come to the program are extremely compromised, with limited mobility due to their lung disease, Sanders-Ford says. Many struggle with shortness of breath and require oxygen use, which can make it difficult to go to the grocery store or even move around their house on their own. “The idea is that pulmonary rehab does not cure anyone but it adds to the quality of life for those patients that we serve,” she says.
Patients in the program come to the hospital three times a week for an hour and 30 minutes. Molly Korah, the clinical coordinator, starts every visit with warm-up exercises. Patients then move on to treadmills, stationary bikes or other equipment, during which their oxygen saturation and blood pressure are monitored and documented. During visits, patients have an education session and an opportunity to visit with a social worker on the team. They start and end the program by meeting with the team’s dietician.
The program’s medical director, Robert Balk, MD, a pulmonologist from Rush University Medical Center, also conducts lectures for patients on topics that can help with life activities, such as traveling with oxygen, flu vaccinations and pneumonia shots.
Sanders-Ford says achieving national certification this year has put the pulmonary rehab program at Rush Oak Park Hospital ahead of the curve. The certification process began in September 2007.
For more information, please contact Emily Dagostino in the Marketing Department at 708-660-3644.
The 10-week outpatient program incorporates exercise, nutrition and education to improve the lives of patients with lung disorders and chronic lung diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, emphysema and asthma. In conjunction with their lung diseases, many patients have other health problems, including diabetes and hypertension.
“Achieving the certification for the program itself is wonderful, but the outcomes of our patients are what we are the most proud of, because our patients are really doing well,” says Karen Sanders-Ford, manager of Respiratory and Pulmonary Rehab Services at Rush Oak Park Hospital. “After they’ve completed the program, many lose a lot of weight. They get their diabetes and other diseases more controlled, and they’re able to live better lives.”
Patients who come to the program are extremely compromised, with limited mobility due to their lung disease, Sanders-Ford says. Many struggle with shortness of breath and require oxygen use, which can make it difficult to go to the grocery store or even move around their house on their own. “The idea is that pulmonary rehab does not cure anyone but it adds to the quality of life for those patients that we serve,” she says.
Patients in the program come to the hospital three times a week for an hour and 30 minutes. Molly Korah, the clinical coordinator, starts every visit with warm-up exercises. Patients then move on to treadmills, stationary bikes or other equipment, during which their oxygen saturation and blood pressure are monitored and documented. During visits, patients have an education session and an opportunity to visit with a social worker on the team. They start and end the program by meeting with the team’s dietician.
The program’s medical director, Robert Balk, MD, a pulmonologist from Rush University Medical Center, also conducts lectures for patients on topics that can help with life activities, such as traveling with oxygen, flu vaccinations and pneumonia shots.
Sanders-Ford says achieving national certification this year has put the pulmonary rehab program at Rush Oak Park Hospital ahead of the curve. The certification process began in September 2007.
For more information, please contact Emily Dagostino in the Marketing Department at 708-660-3644.
