In recognition of the 2016 Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week, March 13 to 19, St. Mary Medical Center patients Daniel Griggs and Mary Emmet were crowned the “Pulmonary Rehab King and Queen” during a special celebration at St. Mary Medical Center. Both patients are active participants in the hospital’s cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program.
“Pulmonary programs around the country, along with the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, celebrate Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week, bringing attention to its role in improving quality of life for individuals with lung disease,” says Lori Turco, RN, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation supervisor at St. Mary Medical Center. “We honor two of our patients during this week, to celebrate their perseverance and positivity in battling their lung disease.”
Griggs has been a part of the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program at St. Mary Medical Center for nearly two years, after receiving a diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. Although his disease has no known cure, the rehab program helped him manage his symptoms until he received a double lung transplant this past January. “The most difficult part of my condition was being unable to do normal activities without breathing discomfort,” Griggs says. “The staff and fellow patients in the rehab program helped me to recover quickly and kept my spirits lifted throughout the journey.”
Emmet entered the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program in 2013, after a decline in her battle with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) led to her dependence on a continuous oxygen supply. Since joining the program, she has stayed dedicated to her exercise regime and to learning all she can about her disease. “The most difficult obstacle has been learning how to pace myself and ask for help,” Emmet says. “Rehab has improved my quality of life, providing me with the information and tools I need to battle COPD.”
St. Mary Medical Center’s pulmonary care program was recently honored with the 2016 Healthgrades® Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™. This distinction recognizes the hospital as one of the top 10 percent in the nation for clinical outcomes that are statistically significantly better than expected when treating COPD and pneumonia.
Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation at St. Mary Medical Center is located just north of the hospital campus at 1345 S. Lake Park Ave., in Hobart. St. Mary Medical Center offers regular screenings that can assess a person’s risk for heart disease and other related medical conditions. Visit www.comhs.org for a complete listing of upcoming screenings and assessments near you.