The most important member of our team is you.  Other members include your physician, a specially trained nurse, exercise physiologist, physical therapist, dietician, pharmacies and a respiratory care practitioner. 

Our goals are to assist you in improving your heart and lung function with monitored graded exercise, helping you become aware of and modify factors that put you at a higher risk for developing further heart problems and also provide support to you and your family during this crisis.

Our program is a two-phase program.

Phase I is the inpatient program, beginning in the hospital with low-level activity and 1:1 education.

Phase II is the outpatient program beginning after discharge from the hospital with close observation, telemetry monitoring while exercising, group education, and follow up reports to your physician.  On discharge, you are encouraged to continue with your home exercise program or enroll in one of many community exercise programs.

Cardiac Support Group
Cardiac Support Group is available to the cardiac patients, families, and anyone interested in their heart health.  The goal of the support group is to continue the education process and offer ongoing support.  We meet quarterly in the Education Room (lower level) at the hospital.

For more information on cardiac rehab, contact:
Jennifer Rentz, RN, Cardiac Rehab Coordinator
jrentz@dchospital.com
320-762-6005

Echo Cardiographs
Echocardiograph is a diagnostic tool used by physicians to evaluate a patient's heart function using a sophisticated ultrasound machine.

EKG (Electrocardiogram)
Electrocardiogram - whether done in ER on a patient with chest pain, or done as a pre-op evaluation, EKG's are a diagnostic tool to evaluate a patient's heart by measuring its electrical output.  Over 3,000 EKG's are performed at Douglas County Hospital every year.

Cardiac Stress Testing
Stress testing is done to help determine how well a person's heart can respond to exercise.  By exercising, the heart beats faster and requires more oxygen.  If there are blockages in the coronary arteries, changes on the EKG can occur, showing the physician that further heart testing may be needed. 

During a stress test patients are hooked up to an EKG monitor and exercise is started at a low level and gradually increased as tolerated.  If a patient is unable to walk on a treadmill, a drug may be given to cause the heart to beat faster and stage simulating exercise.  A regular stress tests generally take 60-90 minutes to complete.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a comprehensive program consisting of exercise and education.  It is designed to help patients with lung disorders increase their exercise levels as well as learn how to manage their disease.

Respiratory Care
Respiratory Care staff provides safe and efficient care for patients who are in need.  With over 110 years of combined experience, our Nationally Credentialed staff work in all areas of the hospital providing competent and compassionate care.

Nuclear Medicine Stress Test
Cardiolite stress testing is a stress test where nuclear medicine imaging is added to allow special pictures of the heart to be taken. 

Pulmonary Function Testing
Pulmonary function testing is a way of measuring and evaluating a patient's lung volumes.  The test is a valuable tool in helping physician's diagnose lung disorders such as asthma or COPD.

Sleep Studies
43 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders; constantly leaving them feeling tired.  There is hope.  Sleep disorders can be treated.  At Douglas County Hospital, our medical professionals focus on helping patients to identify and overcome sleep disorders.

In a given night, a person with sleep apnea may stop breathing 20-60 or more times per hour.  In addition to these events, people may experience:  snoring, gasping or choking sensations, excessive daytime sleepiness, or early morning headaches.  When breathing stops, the sleeper is awakened just enough to inhale and resume breathing, often without being aware of the sleep disruption.  In fact, most people with sleep apnea may be unaware of the problem.

Early recognition and treatment of sleep apnea is important because it is associated with irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity and sexual dysfunction.

Through clinical study, we help patients uncover their specific barriers to sleep.  We also provide follow-up care to manage sleep disorders and help patients receive restful sleep and regain control of their lives.

A widely accepted treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, is positive airway pressure therapy which includes using a bedside device to deliver pressurized air through a small mask or nasal pillow system.  The device is called a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure system- CPAP for short.

Regular use of CPAP therapy can dramatically improve the quality of your rest, but it doesn't always happen overnight, that's why we'll be there each step of the way, guiding you through a phased approach to better sleep.

Speak with your healthcare provider about your sleep concerns or call 320-762-6006 for more information or to schedule an appointment.