Donors and Staff Celebrate Renovation of SVMC’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Department

Appearing from left to right are: Jennifer Thuermer, DNP, and Scott Rogge, MD, of SVMC Cardiology; project donors David Meiselman, Esq. and Myra Packman, James and Lodi Colvin, and Jamie Jerome; SVHC’s President and CEO Thomas A. Dee, FACHE; Patricia Ryan, RN, MSN, and Robin Fraiser, PT, of SVMC Cardiac Rehabilitation; Kathy Sleeman, director of Rehabilitation Services; Steven Anisman, MD, of SVMC Cardiac Rehabilitation, and supporters Barbara and Fred Keyes.

Bennington, VT—July 5, 2019—Donors and staff gathered on the evening of Tuesday, June 25 to tour the newly renovated Cardiac Rehabilitation Department at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC).

The renovation included new lighting and ceiling tiles, new exercise and heart-monitoring equipment, and new floors and fixtures. A nearby storage room was converted to expand exercise space. Fresh paint and appealing local artwork make the space welcoming to the more than 80 patients who participate in cardiac rehabilitation weekly.

At the end of last year, the program earned certification from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). It is the only peer-reviewed accreditation process designed to review individual programs for adherence to standards and guidelines developed and published by AACVPR and other professional societies.

Cardiac rehabilitation programs are designed to help people with cardiovascular problems—including heart attacks, coronary artery bypass graft surgery, congestive heart failure, valve replacement, peripheral vascular disease, and coronary stent placement—recover faster and improve their quality of life. The program includes exercise, education, counseling, and support for patients and their families.

For more information about Cardiac Rehabilitation at SVMC, call (802) 447-5132.

About SVHC:
Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is a comprehensive, preeminent, health care system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVHC includes Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, and the SVHC Foundation. SVMC includes 25 primary and specialty care practices. For more information, visit svhealthcare.org.

Southwestern Vermont Health Care complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.