Cardiac rehabilitation at Danbury Hospital's Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation Center consists of education and exercise for individuals who have experienced a heart attack, bypass surgery, coronary angioplasty or other related cardiac conditions.
The program helps individuals return to an active lifestyle and reduce the risk of future cardiac events. It also is a preventive program for individuals who do not have a cardiac diagnosis but are at risk for developing coronary artery disease (CAD).
Education Increases Awareness - Learn from Your Instructors; Receive Support from Your Peers
As a participant in the Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation Center cardiac rehabilitation program, you and your classmates support each other while attending educational sessions about the risk factors associated with coronary artery disease. The education classes offered include: Structure and Function of the Heart, Know Your Numbers, Coping with Stress, Exercise: How & Why, Understanding Cardiovascular Disease, Surgical and Diagnostic Procedures, and Emotional Aspects of Heart Disease. In addition to the weekly education classes there is also a Cardiac Support Group for patients and their families that meets the third Wednesday of every month at 7pm.
The Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation Center also can assist you in smoking cessation, stress management, meditation, and tai chi.
Exercise Assists Your Recovery - Getting Better Step by Step
Exercise makes the cardiovascular system more efficient. Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation staff will design an individualized exercise program that's right for you to allow you to return to work and other activities sooner. You will feel yourself progress to recovery as you move forward step by step through our "Phase" approach to cardiac rehabilitation:
Phase I:
Phase I takes place while you are in the hospital recovering from a heart attack, bypass surgery, coronary angioplasty or other cardiac event. You will have an educational session provided by the cardiac rehabilitation staff. At that time, you may perform light exercises or walking in order to reduce the negative effects of bed rest to prepare you to return home.
Phase II:
Exercise: Phase II consists of a 12-week aerobic exercise and education program. You will attend exercise sessions at Danbury Hospital 3 times per week. A qualified exercise physiologist supervises each session and monitors your heart rate and rhythm to ensure that you are responding appropriately to exercise. For your convenience, the Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation offers eight classes throughout the day each Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as well as one class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
Education: You will also have the opportunity to attend educational sessions weekly along with your family. You will receive a comprehensive dietary consult from a Registered Dietitian that will assist you in making heart healthy lifestyle changes, including weight loss and blood lipid (cholesterol) management.
Phase III:
In Phase III you will continue your aerobic exercise training in a supervised setting to maintain the progress and benefits you achieved during Phase II.
Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation staff will provide you with a personalized exercise prescription, while you learn to monitor your own exercise data. A member of our staff will review your exercise data after each exercise session, however, you may feel free to consult with our staff during your exercise session.
The Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation staff encourages all Phase III participants to exercise at the facility at least 3 times per week. In fact, many of our participants choose to continue exercising indefinitely at our facility.
Risk Reduction Program - Reduce Your Risk Before You Develop Heart Disease
The Risk Reduction Program is for individuals who do not have a cardiac diagnosis, but have been identified by their physician as being at high risk of developing heart disease. The program includes group education and exercise sessions and individual dietary counseling.
Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation requires participants to have a physician referral prior to joining the program. Staff initially monitors newcomers with telemetry monitoring, and gradually reduces monitoring as participants learn to exercise properly.
Nutritional Consults - Set New Lifestyle Goals
Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation requires participants to have a physician referral prior to joining the program. Staff initially monitors newcomers with telemetry monitoring, and gradually reduces monitoring as participants learn to exercise properly.
Our registered dietitians also provide nutritional consults for lipid management to individuals who do not participate in the Phase II and III programs. Please have your primary care physician or cardiologist call 203-797-7983 to set up an appointment.
Enroll Through Your Physician
Your primary care physician or cardiologist must refer you in order to participate in cardiac rehabilitation. The referring physician has an active role in the rehabilitation process and our staff will keep your doctor well informed of your progress.
Hospitalized patients may be referred into the Phase I (inpatient) program by physician order. Outpatients may be referred into Phase II, III or the Risk Reduction Program by asking the physician to either send a completed referral form to the Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, or by calling us at 203-739-7983.
Who Pays for Cardiac Rehabilitation?
Most insurance carriers cover all or part of the cost of Phase I and Phase II programs because they are medically prescribed, supervised and hospital based. However, as individual contracts vary, we strongly recommend checking with your insurance carrier prior to starting your cardiac rehabilitation program. The Phase III program is reasonably priced to encourage participation by everyone. Typically, the Phase III program is not covered by insurance.
The Team - You - The Most Important Member
Danbury Hospital launched the Marcus Cardiac Rehabilitation Center's Cardiac Rehabilitation Program in 1979. We have established an excellent patient care safety record as well as consistent results in the improvement of the quality of life for our participants.
Our qualified staff, led by Medical Director, Jonathan Alexander, MD, FACP, FACC, and Program Director, Kevin Bill, MS, CES, includes professionals with advanced academic degrees, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification, and several years of experience and expertise in specialties including exercise physiology, nursing, and nutrition.
The most important member of our team, however, is you. Only you can make you exercise, quit smoking or eat a more healthful diet. Be an active member of your rehabilitation or risk reduction program by:
- Learning more about your heart condition
- Learning what you can do to help your heart
- Following your treatment plan
- Reporting any symptoms or problems
- Asking questions
