NORTHAMPTON – Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s Cardiopulmonary Rehab Program earned recertification from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR).

The Cardiopulmonary Rehab program staff and physicians participated in the application process which required extensive documentation of the program’s practices followed by a thorough review by AACVPR clinicians.

Kathleen Bowers, manager of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology, was notified Sept. 30, 2011 of the recertification. She says the AACVPR Program Certification is the only peer-reviewed accreditation process designed to review individual programs for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by the AACVPR and other professional societies. Each program is reviewed by the AACVPR National Certification Committee and certification is awarded by the AACVPR Board of Directors.

Cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation programs are designed to help people with cardiovascular problems (e.g. heart attacks, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, etc.) and pulmonary problems (e.g. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – COPD, respiratory symptoms, etc.) recover faster and improve their quality of life. Both programs include exercise, education, counseling and support for patients and their families.

More than 200 new patients were treated at CDH’s Cardiopulmonary Rehab program from Oct. 1, 2010 through Sept. 30, 2011. On average, patients attend for 24 sessions and range in age from 45 to 80 years old.

Certified AACVPR programs are recognized as leaders in the field of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation because they offer the most advanced practices available.

About AACVPR
Founded in 1985, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a multidisciplinary organization dedicated to the mission of reducing morbidity, mortality and disability from cardiovascular and pulmonary disease through education, prevention, rehabilitation, research and disease management. Central to the core mission is improvement in quality of life for patients and their families.

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