Phase Four Cardiopulmonary Rehab Moves to FIT

  • May 13, 2021
Cardiopulmonary Rehab Nurse Ann Overby, RN, takes Dolores Lengkeek’s blood pressure after group exercise class at the Fishback Indoor Training Facility. Brookings Health System moved phase four of the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program to the FIT to improve patient access. The phase four cardiopulmonary maintenance program is designed to help patients who want to continue healthy lifestyle changes following an adverse cardiopulmonary event or condition.
Cardiopulmonary Rehab Nurse Ann Overby, RN, takes Dolores Lengkeek’s blood pressure after group exercise class at the Fishback Indoor Training Facility. Brookings Health System moved phase four of the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program to the FIT to improve patient access. The phase four cardiopulmonary maintenance program is designed to help patients who want to continue healthy lifestyle changes following an adverse cardiopulmonary event or condition.

Last week Brookings Health System moved phase four of the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program to the Fishback Indoor Training (FIT) Facility located at 3105 Main Avenue South in Brookings. The move improves access for patients who exercise under the guidance of cardiopulmonary health professionals.

“We formerly held classes with SDSU’s Miller Wellness Center which wasn’t designed specifically for the population we serve,” said Cardiopulmonary Rehab Director Jesse Walsh. “Most of our patients are 60 to 90 years old and have an underlying health condition, like heart disease or COPD. Some have mobility challenges and we expect to start seeing those with post COVID-19 conditions, too. One of the advantages of the new FIT is it has patient parking close to the entrance with our exercise area right inside the doors, making it much easier and more convenient for our patients to work out with state-of-the-art equipment or walk on the FIT’s new indoor track.”

While the location has changed, the phase four program has not. Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation helps patients return to an active, healthy lifestyle following a cardiac event, such as a heart attack, or a lung condition like pulmonary fibrosis. Phase four is designed as a maintenance program for patients who have graduated from the previous phases of cardiopulmonary rehab and want to continue their healthy lifestyle changes. Individuals may come to walk the track and work out with equipment on their own or as part of a group. While the team of registered nurses and respiratory therapists do not constantly take vitals of phase four participants, they do help participants document their heart rate and blood pressure.

“For a lot of our folks who exercise with us, it’s peace of mind knowing there is a licensed medical professional right there with the expertise and the equipment to handle a medical emergency,” said Walsh. “Because we do not require a physician’s order for phase four, we even have people who haven’t been through the other phases of the cardiopulmonary rehab program join us, just for the reassurance of having a medical expert close by.”

In addition to reducing health risk factors, other benefits from the program include cardio and strength training; improving flexibility, agility, balance and range of motion; and social and emotional well-being.

Phase four sessions are held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The first session runs from 5:30 to 7 a.m. with a group exercise class that focuses on strengthening and flexibility starting at 6 a.m. The second session runs from 9 to 11 a.m. with group exercise class starting at 9:30 a.m.

Persons interested in joining phase four of the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program may call the cardiac rehab team at (605) 696-8065. More information about all the phases of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation can be found at brookingshealth.org/Cardio.

About Brookings Health System

Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes a 49-bed hospital, the 79-bed The Neighborhoods at Brookview nursing home, Brookhaven Estates senior living apartments, Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical, and medical clinics in Arlington, White and Volga, South Dakota. It is a non-profit, city-owned facility that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and extended care services. Brookings Hospital provides local access to doctors in Brookings and offers robotic da Vinci surgery and Mako robotic-arm assisted procedures, making it one of the premier rural community hospitals in South Dakota. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org.