Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Desert Springs Hospital launches new cardiac program

Desert Springs Hospital has opened a cardiac rehabilitation unit to strengthen patients’ heart muscles and help them adopt healthier lifestyles.

Called “Phase II” cardiac rehab, the personalized program benefits patients who have undergone open-heart surgery, balloon angioplasty or have serious heart conditions, hospital officials said.

The cardiac rehabilitation center — led by Larren Wallace, director of cardiopulmonary services for the hospital, and Dr. Alfred Danielian, the medical director — will provide classes on nutrition, stress management, diabetes care, medication management, smoking cessation and home exercises. Each participant will have a customized program to meet his or her specific cardiac needs.

Each class is one hour, and the program generally lasts about 12 weeks, depending on the patient’s health care provider. To participate in the program, which is covered by Medicare and many private insurance carriers, patients need a doctor’s order.

Sam Kaufman, CEO and managing director of Desert Springs Hospital, said the program is a natural progression of the hospital’s history of cardiac care. Doctors at Desert Springs Hospital perform open-heart surgery, balloon angioplasties and surgeries to implant temporary heart pumps, pacemakers and defibrillators.

The hospital also has an electrophysiology lab that uses a magnetic-navigation system to guide a catheter to treat cardiac arrhythmias.

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