Charleston Area Medical Center's Cardiac Rehabilitation is an adult lifestyle modification program designed to help reduce risk factors for coronary artery disease and improve heart risk and lung function. The program involves a full spectrum of exercise and fitness regimens along with diet and lifestyle reorganization. 

Cardiac Rehabilitation provides inpatient and outpatient services. Anyone with a history of heart disease or who is "at risk" for developing heart disease is a prime candidate for cardiac rehab. All patients must have a referral to the program from a physician.

You can benefit from cardiac rehabilitation if you:

• Have a heart disease such as angina or heart failure, or have had a heart attack 

• Have had a balloon catheter (angioplasty) or stent procedure 

• Have had bypass surgery 

• Experience chest pain or angina 

• Have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and/or are obese 

Contact us

Director of program: Ed Haver, MA ed.haver@camc.org

Cardiac rehabilitation phone: (304) 388-9520

Cardiac rehabilitation fax: (304) 388-9422

Adult fitness program (Heart Fit): (304) 345-1432

Dr. Dean Ornish Program phone: (304) 388-9411

Exercise tolerance testing: (304) 330-8922 (pager)

Directions to department

Travel to Memorial Hospital. map and directions
Enter the hospital through the main entrance on the main level of the hospital. 
Go to the right once in the building and look for elevators G and H. 
Take elevator H to the second floor. Push button 2F in the elevator. 
Go to the left upon exiting elevator. 
Follow hallway, go to the right at the fork in the hallway. 
Cardiac rehab is at the end of this hallway. 

Hours of operation

Office hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Adult lifestyle modification program (Phase II/Phase III): 

Monday/Wednesday/Friday 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Adult fitness program (Heart Fit): Monday/Wednesday/Friday 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Head up tilt table testing: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Exercise tolerance testing: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 
(Staff available Saturday/Sunday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on an on-call basis)

Transtelephonic EKG monitoring: Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to  4:30 p.m.

Programs and services

Education and consultation
Education and behavioral consultation are important services provided. A registered dietitian prescribes personalized dietary plans and follow up counseling for each participant. A family nurse clinician and a psychologist provide group education and are available for individual or family counseling on coping with lifestyle changes. Nurses and exercise physiologists provide personalized exercise regimens and ensure a safe exercise environment for all participants. Daily education classes are provided between exercise classes.

A few of the education topics include:
Exercise prescription 
Blood pressure 
Medications 
Angina and nitroglycerin 
Weight management 
Coping with change 
How your heart works 
Managing stress 

Outpatient services

Adult lifestyle modification program
The adult lifestyle modification program concentrates on reconditioning and improving physical work capacity through a variety of prescribed exercises closely supervised by registered nurses and exercise physiologists,

Participants attend exercise class three times per week for up to 12 weeks. Each participant's exercise program and behavioral goals are individually prescribed and contracted. Each week, exercise prescriptions are updated and behavioral goals are assessed. Periodic progress reports are shared with the participant and his or her physician. Participants attend education classes each day that are offered between exercise classes. The class topics are chosen to help participants make heart healthy lifestyle changes.

Adult fitness program (Heart Fit)
The adult fitness program assists in the maintenance of physical conditioning and behavioral changes in a supportive group environment. Exercise physiologists provide close supervision, with the participant taking an active self-care role. The exercise prescription and behavioral goals are updated regularly. Reports are shared with the participants and their physicians.

Exercise equipment available includes treadmills, stationary bicycles, air-dyne bicycles, Nu-Step recumbent steppers, rowing machines, Stairmasters, cross-country skiing machines and resistance training.

Inpatient services
Education and progressive walking during the acute hospital phase is offered at Charleston Area Medical Center Memorial Hospital. The program begins as soon as the patient is stable following heart surgery, balloon catheter procedure (angioplasty) or a heart attack. Patients work through a series of motion and flexibility exercises and are educated about their disease and how their habits need to be modified. Family and spouse participation is encouraged. A multi-disciplinary team approach is used to optimize services to meet the individual patient's needs. The goals of the inpatient program are to:

• Prevent ill effects of prolonged bed rest 

• Educate the patient and family about heart disease 

• Initiate a progressive home exercise program 

• Speed recovery 

• Promote health and lifestyle changes 

• Initiate referral plans to outpatient services 

• Test and evaluate

Exercise tolerance testing
Exercise tolerance testing (stress testing) is strongly recommended prior to beginning an outpatient program. Non-nuclear exercise tolerance testing services are provided by cardiac rehab exercise physiologists on either an outpatient or inpatient basis. The American College of Sports Medicine's recommendations and protocols are followed.

Transtelephonic EKG Monitoring
Transtelephonic EKG monitoring is provided for either diagnostic, evaluative, or exercise services. Patients with dizziness, fainting episodes or heart palpitations can benefit from using the device to record their heart rhythm when symptoms occur. Patients with permanently implanted devices can use the monitor to evaluate how well their device is working. Transmissions are received by exercise physiologists who then send them on to the appropriate physicians.

Head up tilt table testing
Head up tilt table testing is done to assist your doctor in determining the cause of episodes of dizziness, loss of consciousness or near loss of consciousness. The test is done by a registered nurse with continuous EKG monitoring and frequent blood pressure monitoring.

Frequent questions

Q: Who is a candidate for cardiac rehabilitation?
A: Anyone with a history of heart disease or who is "at risk" for developing heart disease is eligible for Cardiac Rehab. Anyone who has had an angioplasty procedure, a stent procedure, a heart attack or bypass surgery is a candidate for Cardiac Rehab.

Q: Does insurance cover these programs?
A: Most major insurance companies cover at least 80 percent of the cost of the Adult Lifestyle Modification Program. If you have a secondary insurance, that company will usually pick up the remaining cost that your primary does not cover. Insurance does not cover the Adult Fitness Program, you would be responsible for the cost.

Dean Ornish Program