CHRISTUS St. Michael Rehabilitation Hospital's Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation program has received certification by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
St. Michael was recognized for its commitment to improving quality of life by enhancing standards of care.
The cardiac rehabilitation program is designed to help people with cardiovascular problems such as heart attacks or coronary artery bypass graft surgery and pulmonary problems to recover faster and improve their quality of life.
Both programs include exercise, education, counseling and support for patients and their families.
"AACVPR certification is a great indicator of the quality outcomes experienced by the patients who participate in the CHRISTUS St. Michael Rehabilitation Outpatient Cardiac Pulmonary department," said Teena Thornell, the rehabilitation hospital's regional performance improvement manager. "We are extremely proud of this achievement and the quality it represents."
St. Michael's cardiac rehabilitation program participated in an application process that requires extensive documentation of the program's practices. The program certification, which is valid for three years, is the only peer-reviewed accreditation process designed to review individual programs for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by AACVPR and other professional societies.
Each program is reviewed by the AACVPR Program Certification Committee, and certification is awarded by the AACVPR Board of Directors.