Cardiovascular Diseases in Minnesota

Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Program

The staff in the Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Program at Mayo Clinic helps patients who have a history or risk of cardiovascular disease improve their health and reduce their risk of future cardiovascular disease. The Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Program is a part of the Cardiovascular Health Clinic, a clinic focused on the needs of patients with cardiovascular disease and those who are at risk of cardiovascular disease.

For people who have a history of cardiovascular disease, proven ways to improve health and reduce the risk of future cardiovascular events include improving diet and physical activity habits, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding tobacco use or exposure and taking prescribed preventive medications. Although these important treatments are well known, putting them into practice can be difficult.

To help patients navigate the road to cardiovascular health and practice preventive therapies, the staff in the Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Program creates a personalized rehabilitation plan for each patient.

Who should participate?

The program is open to all patients with cardiovascular disease or those who have experienced a heart attack, coronary bypass, coronary angioplasty, angina, chronic heart failure, organ transplants, peripheral artery disease or coronary disease risk factors. The program also serves patients who are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, such as those who have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, metabolic syndrome or other conditions.

Individual focus, many options

Because every patient enters the Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Program with a unique history, case managers tailor the experience to meet each patient's needs.

A personalized cardiovascular rehabilitation plan typically includes:

• Highly supervised exercise program in a state-of-the-art facility
• Patient education and wellness programs
• Special classes such as tai chi, yoga and balance exercises
• Cooking demonstrations by an executive chef in an instruction kitchen
• Written resources
• Nutrition counseling
• Smoking cessation counseling
• Individualized risk-factor management recommendations with regular evaluations by prevention specialists

Comprehensive program

Various phases of the program are available to serve patients' needs, including:

• Phase One: Hospitalization. Evaluation, education and rehabilitation efforts begin while the patient is still in the hospital following a cardiac event.
• Phase Two: Highly Supervised. In the immediate post-hospitalization period, patients begin attending classes and participate in a regular exercise program. Exercise specialists, registered nurses, physicians and others closely monitor patients. Most major insurance plans cover this phase.
• Phase Three: Transition. Patients who do well in Phase Two typically advance to Phase Three, which helps them transition to an exercise and wellness program with less intensive day-to-day supervision.
• Phase Four: Maintenance. Patients progress to Phase Four when risk factors are controlled and patients have learned sufficiently about factors affecting cardiovascular health. The case manager continues to track the patient's progress, but patients are responsible for continuing their exercise and nutrition plans.

Patients at risk for developing cardiovascular disease usually enter the program at Phase Four.

Patients being treated at Mayo Clinic for a short time can still participate in the program. For example, patients who have heart transplants at Mayo participate for as long as they stay in Rochester following their hospitalization. Follow-up appointments are available when patients return for checkups. This service is extended to any patient being treated at Mayo Clinic.

Patients in the program receive care from an experienced team of cardiologists and other specialists. Cardiologists work with a team including:

• Certified exercise specialists
• Executive chef
• Exercise physiologists
• Registered dietitians
• Registered nurses

Appointments

To participate, patients must be referred to or evaluated by the Cardiovascular Health and Rehabilitation Program. To make an appointment, please call 507-266-7607 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time. For more information, please call 507-284-4445.

Physician staff