COURT HOUSE — Cape Regional Medical Center has been awarded program recertification for its Cardiac Rehabilitation and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs by the American Association of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

National certification recognizes programs rigorously reviewed by a national board and found to meet the requirements for excellence in standards of care.

According to a release, Cape Regional Medical Center is one of nine pulmonary programs and one of 17 cardiac programs certified by the organization in the state.

“At Cape Regional, the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is designed to limit the physiological and psychological effects of cardiac illness, reduce the risk for sudden death or relapse, control cardiac symptoms, stabilize and/or improve the patient’s condition, and enhance the patient’s quality of life,” stated Senior Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Nurse Kim Elliott.

“The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at Cape Regional involves a multidimensional continuum of services by interdisciplinary specialists, directed to persons with pulmonary disease and their families. The goal of the cardiopulmonary team is to achieve and maintain the individual’s maximum level of independence and functioning in the community,” she added.

This is the fourth time the programs, which operate within the Medical Center’s Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, have received the three-year certification from the organization, a national, multidisciplinary association dedicated to the improvement of clinical practice, promotion of scientific inquiry, and advancement of education for the benefit of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation professionals and the patients they serve.

The medical director of Cardiac Rehabilitation is Burton Waisbren, MD, and the Medical Director of Pulmonary Rehabilitation is Henry J Komansky, DO, FCCP.

The Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation staff members are Jeffrey Andrews, MA, OTR, MBA, Administrative Director; Kim Elliott, RN, BSN, Senior Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Nurse; Walt Garant, RRT, BS, Registered Respiratory Therapist, Betsy Oleksiak, RN, Sherry McCurdy, RN; Fred Schuster, MS, Clinical Exercise Physiologist; Jody Conway, Secretary.

The Multidisciplinary Team staff members are Judith Horn, PT, DPT, MS, GCS, CWS, Licensed Physical Therapist; Cindy Kraemer, BSN, CDE, PRNC, Diabetes Nurse Educator; Allen Beier, BS; Deborah Gore, RD, CNSD, Registered Dietitian; Gretchen Sorensen, R.Ph., Pharmacist, Rich Artymowicz, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS, Director of Clinical Pharmacy; Terri Netz, RN, Nurse Coordinator Cancer Center; Patrick Hall and Chris Wolf, Biomedical.