Pulmonary Rehabilitation

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For over twenty years, Seton Medical Center’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program has offered individualized education and monitored exercise conditioning for persons with chronic lung disease. The goals are to increase strength, endurance and independence while learning techniques to control breathlessness and prevent complications such as infections. Sessions are typically twice weekly for two and one half-hours and the program is normally 6 weeks in duration. The program is nationally certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

The ‘state of the art’ gym is equipped with 10 treadmills, 11 stationary bicycles, 2 arm ergometers, 4 wall pulleys, Stairmaster, Cardioglide, Eclipse trainer, NuStep, Hydrofitness resistance machine, free weights, Theraband and 10 channel 12 lead EKG for rest and exercise EKG monitoring. Over one hundred spaces of free parking are available adjacent to the entrance of the rehab gym. Staff includes a pulmonologist, pulmonary nurse practitioner, respiratory therapist, occupational therapist, registered dietitian and exercise physiologists.

The program has been actively involved in research on a state and national level for over ten years. The most recent research study of our Pulmonary Rehabilitation program shows an average 42% decrease in respiratory hospitalizations after attendance in the program. The average increase in walking distance was nearly a four-fold improvement in the study. This study was presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in May 2007.

The Pulmonary Rehabilitation staff will assist you in determining insurance coverage for the services. Participants who complete the Pulmonary Rehabilitation program may join the low cost ongoing maintenance exercise program.

For more information, call Chris Garvey FNP, MSN, MPA, FAACVPR at 650-991-6776 or email at chrisgarvey@dochs.org