STAMFORD, CT - Stamford Hospital is the first hospital in Connecticut to offer heart disease patients the Dr. Dean Ornish Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation (ICR) program to Reverse Heart Disease. This unique and life-saving program is now covered by Medicare and is provided by Stamford Hospital’s cardiac rehabilitation professionals.
The program provides a comprehensive approach to preventing heart disease and reducing future cardiac events for patients with cardiovascular disease. Patients undergo an intensive nine-week program that encourages lifestyle and behavior changes. The program relies on four lifestyle components essential to the heart disease reversal process: diet, exercise, stress reduction and group support.
ICR is led by a multidisciplinary team of cardiac rehabilitation professionals who work together to heal patients physically, spiritually and emotionally. Registered dieticians instruct participants how to reduce their dietary fat intake to 10% or lower and use education, recipes and cooking demonstrations to help them acquire lifelong tools for a heart-healthy diet. American College of Sports Medicine-certified exercise physiologists lead two weekly one-hour sessions of exercise instruction, designed to improve aerobic and musculoskeletal capacity and instill the importance of regular exercise. In addition, stress management and yoga instructors help patients integrate gentle stretching skills, breathing techniques, relaxation, meditation and yoga practices. Finally, licensed mental health professionals lead group support sessions to foster a sense of connection and community among participants as well as to help them develop tools for enhancing interpersonal relationships.
“Patients who participate in the ICR program can expect a number of different benefits, including longer life expectancy, fewer coronary events, improved heart circulation, less angina, less by-pass surgery, improved exercise capacity, less depression, stress and hostility, reversal of coronary artery disease, and an overall improved healthy lifestyle.” said Murray Low, EdD, Program Director, Cardiac Rehabilitation.
The Stamford Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation Department has been re-certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). Certified AACVPR programs are recognized as leaders in the field of cardiovascular rehabilitation because they offer the most advanced practices available. The AACVPR certification process requires extensive documentation of the program’s practices, and the certification is valid for three years.
For more information, please call (203) 276-2183.
Stamford Hospital is a not-for-profit provider of comprehensive healthcare services in lower Fairfield County and the region. The mission of Stamford Hospital is to provide, together with its physicians, a broad range of high quality health and wellness services focused on the needs of our communities. Stamford Hospital is a member of the Planetree Alliance, a group of hospitals nationwide focused on patient-centered care. Stamford Hospital is affiliated with New York Presbyterian Health System and is a major teaching affiliate of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
