$7k grant from the American Heart Association will support a new cardiac rehabilitation pilot program in Charlotte

Home / $7k grant from the American Heart Association will support a new cardiac rehabilitation pilot program in Charlotte

The American Heart Association awarded Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Foundation a $7,000 grant to purchase monitoring items to support cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients during a three-month, comprehensive at-home, medically managed lifestyle and education pilot program.

Cardiac rehabilitation team members at four Charlotte-area Novant Health hospitals receive an average of 2,000 referrals annually. CR lowers patients’ risk of a future cardiac event, improves nutrition, supports weight management and helps patients return to work and normal activities. And yet fewer than half of referred patients participate in a CR program, primarily because of transportation barriers and the inconvenience of attending a program in a clinic setting.

The pilot program will work to address those barriers, enabling patients to participate in rehabilitation from their homes. After providing patients with basic coaching at a cardiac rehab facility, team members will distribute monitoring devices for patients to participate in remote coaching and monitoring sessions three times per week for three months. Those devices include blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters and pedometers to measure and report vital signs during home program sessions, all of which will facilitate safe, in-home exercise, education and heart-healthy nutrition.