Gundersen St. Joseph’s cardiac rehab certified by industry leader

Gundersen St. Joseph's Hospital and Clinics is proud to announce the certification of its cardiac rehabilitation program by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). This certification is recognition of Gundersen St. Joseph's commitment to improving patients' quality of life by enhancing standards of care.

Cardiac rehabilitation programs are designed to help people with cardiovascular problems (e.g., heart attacks, coronary artery bypass graft surgery) recover faster and live healthier lives and include supervised exercise, education, counseling and support for patients and their families.

"Cardiac rehabilitation is vital to improving recovery times and reducing re-admission for those recovering from a cardiac event," said Amanda Marx, MS, RCEP, coordinator of the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program at Gundersen St. Joseph's. "This certification proves that our program meets the standards set by AACVPR and that our patients can expect great outcomes when enrolled in our program."

To earn accreditation, Gundersen St. Joseph's cardiac rehabilitation program underwent an application process that required extensive documentation of the program's practices. AACVPR Program Certification is the only peer-review accreditation process designed to review individual programs for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by AACVPR and other related professional societies. Each program's application is reviewed by the AACVPR Program Certification Committee, and certification is awarded by the AACVPR board of directors.

"We are so proud of the work Amanda has done to earn this designation of quality for our cardiac rehabilitation program," said Kristie McCoic, administrator of Gundersen St. Joseph's.

Patients interested in learning more about cardiac rehabilitation should speak with their primary care provider about a referral.