A service of the Lundquist Cardiovascular Institute

Delpit Cardiac Rehabilitation Center

The Heart Disease Recovery & Prevention

The Torrance Memorial Delpit Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, a service of the Lundquist Cardiovascular Institute, recognizes that heart disease is both physically and emotionally traumatic for both the patient and the family. Therefore our comprehensive heart program includes Cardiac Rehabilitation, a recovery program designed for people who have coronary disease, electrical disorders or have had a heart attack, heart surgery or balloon angioplasty.

What is Cardiac Rehabilitation?

Our healthcare professionals work as a team with both the patient and the physician to help achieve the highest possible level of recovery. This is achieved through a medically supervised program of exercise therapy, risk factor intervention, education and emotional support.

How Can Cardiac Rehabilitation Benefit the Patient or Someone They Love?

Help ease the recovery period for the patient and family
Provide a safe environment during the recovery phase
Provide emotional support from experienced and caring healthcare professionals as well as other cardiac patients.
Identify and help modify risk factors that contribute to Heart Disease
Aid in the return to a healthy and enjoyable style of living.

What Can the Patient Expect From The Program?

While still in the Hospital (Phase 1), our Cardiac Rehabilitation nurse will work with the patient to gradually and safely increase activity levels, provide information about the patient's disease and treatment, answer questions, address concerns and give the patient and family guidelines and instructions for going home.

Cardiac Rehabilitation continues after the patient goes home (Phase 2). The patient returns to the hospital three times a week on an outpatient basis for telemetry monitored exercise therapy, education and dietary counseling. At this level the patient will have the opportunity to interact with other individuals who have also experienced a cardiac event.

A maintenance program (Phase 3) provides the patient with the opportunity to continue an exercise program in a structured, medically supervised environment as long as it is beneficial.

What Kind of Education about Heart Disease is Provided?

A comprehensive educational manual, lectures and video library provide information for the patient and family on the following topics:

The heart and how it works
Coronary artery disease
Identifying and modifying risk factors
Nutrition and food management
Cholesterol and fats
The recommended diet
Medications
Principles of exercise
Stress
Coping with heart disease: the effect of
heart disease on the patient and family

Who Provides Patient Care During the Program?

Our team of registered nurses and dieticians, under the direction of the Medical Director of Cardiology Services, is specially trained in the areas of cardiac medicine, nutrition and exercise physiology. We work closely with the patient's doctor, providing him with valuable information about his patient's progress.

How To Get Started

Each patient plays a crucial role in his own recovery, therefore it is important for the patient to become an active participant in his treatment. The Patient and/or family can discuss entering a cardiac rehabilitation program with the patient's doctor.

An order from the doctor is required.
Most insurance plans cover Phase 1 and 2

How To Get More Information

Call (310) 517-4737 with any questions about the Delpit Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.