The Center for Cardiac, Pulmonary, and Vascular Fitness

Heart Failure Patient Services

Heart failure is now a covered diagnosis for cardiac rehabilitation. A series of six weekly, 30-minute group education sessions has been added to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at the Center for Cardiac Fitness to better serve patients who have heart failure.

A cardiologist leads sessions that cover topics such as symptom management, sodium restriction, exercise intolerance, and medication compliance. Heart failure patients and their caregivers also attend specialized consultations with staff nutritionists, behavioral psychologists and pharmacists.

Cardiac rehabilitation is covered by Medicare for systolic heart failure patients with an ejection fraction of less than 35 percent, and can begin a minimum of six weeks after the most recent hospitalization. Non-qualifying patients will be recommended for other program services.