Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Mercy South Earns Re-certification

Cardiac rehabilitation provides a safe, monitored environment for patients to improve their recovery from heart attack and heart surgery. Now, patients at Mercy Hospital South have the added comfort of knowing the cardiac rehabilitation program has earned its re-certification.

The American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation has certified Mercy Cardiac Rehabilitation – 10012 Kennerly in recognition of the program’s commitment to improving patients’ quality of life by enhancing standards of care.

“Our team works hard to improve the lives of our patients,” said Mike Knobbe, Mercy Cardiac Rehabilitation supervisor. “This certification reflects the dedication and extra effort we provide to help our patients.”

Cardiac rehabilitation programs are designed to help heart patients recover faster, leading to healthier lives. The program includes exercise, education, counseling and support for patients and their families. Patients benefit from a reduced risk of death, fewer symptoms, lower recurrence of heart attacks, better following of their medication instructions, improved exercise performance, improved mood and more.

To earn accreditation, Mercy Cardiac Rehabilitation participated in an application process that requires extensive documentation of the program’s practices. This certification program is the only peer-review accreditation process designed to evaluate individual programs for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation and other related professional societies. Each application is reviewed by a program certification committee, and certification is awarded by the association’s board of directors.

In 2018, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation moved to an outcomes-based process with performance measurements that represent more meaningful results. Certified programs are leaders in the field because they offer the most advanced practices available with proven track records of high-quality patient care. The certification is valid for three years.