Chapters Transcript Video Women Supporting Women: Cardiac Rehab & Heart Health in Miami I never thought it would happen to me, but it did. I was on a 2 mile walk, when I started to feel chest pressure and discomfort that quickly escalated to an urgent care visit and then a hospital visit. Where just as they began the cardiac cath. I went into cardiac arrest. I um felt chest pains, which I thought at the time was heartburn, and asked to go to the hospital and went to the hospital, and as I was entering South Miami Hospital, I went into cardiac arrest. One of the most important uh connections that I made through the cardiac rehab program was the connection to the Women Heart of Miami support group. We met actually at the Women's Heart of Miami. Support group meeting here at at Baptist. And when Marlen shared her story, she shared that she had been into cardiac arrest and she had to subsequently get a stent. And it that story resonated with me since that had been my story just a year prior. Gigi coming over and giving me a hug and welcoming me and telling me it's gonna be OK was was meaningful. You bond over over something very tragic um in your life that you didn't expect or didn't think it would ever happen to you, and therefore, just that alone gives you this sense of Sisterhood and and and friendship. And so, yes, um we are friends and we care for each other and and we love each other. The support groups of people working together who have been through similar things are profoundly important and very unique, but a well thought of part of the cardiac rehab program. Baptist has been an incredible ally for women heart and Baptist is also then You know, lent itself to lots of education to the team. Cardiac rehab is a programmatic approach in helping people with cardiac issues or who have had a cardiac procedure to get them back to a healthy lifestyle and quite frankly sometimes an even healthier lifestyle than before they had that cardiac problem. The approach is programmatic. It's a team-based approach, and most people have a cardiac condition, quite frankly, after the condition they're scared. They're not sure. Exactly what led to them to have that problem. They're not sure what they can do or can't do. And one of the main aspects of cardiac rehab is to give the patients that education and support so they're comfortable in resuming activities and as I said, even improving their lifestyle and their physical activities after that event. Baptist Health and Miami Cardic Investment Institute has a robust cardiac rehab program we've had for many years, and thousands of patients have gone through it, and we're proud to say that the patient satis. Actions and our outcomes are top notch. I learned about cardiac rehab through my cardiologist and, you know, immediately decided to participate. You know, cardiac rehab comes with opportunities to examine and to connect with your mental health and so much of the journey after having a heart attack has to do with taking care of yourself physically. And mentally. The cardiac rehab programs have been expansive over the last couple of years to decades. They really started for people who had heart attacks, but based on data using these programs, it's expanded. Patients with heart failure are candidates. Patients who've had a stent or a bypass surgery or valve. Whether it's a taver, which is going through the skin, or an open procedure, they're all candidates for cardiac rehab. The cardiac rehab program, I was blessed to get connected with incredible caregivers who really were focused on getting me my strength back when I thought I was broken. And so, it starts with amazing caregivers who um monitor your heart while you do the exercise, and then they're also always asking you about your mental health and making sure that you're both physically and mentally strong after this life-altering event. Proud to say at the Miami Cariac and Vasculal Institute, we have top level people in the cardiac rehab department. Many of them are well experienced, so they've been doing it for a long time, which gives them an extra knowledge of personalizing care. Um, they're quite passionate about really helping the people. The patient engagements with the staff are phenomenal, and the patients really love going there and love that reassurance. It's. Nurses, it's nutritious dieticians, it's exercise physiologists, psychologists, and what I think is most important about our programs they all work together. It's a team. I highly recommend cardiac rehab to anyone who's had heart disease or, you know, in my case, a heart attack, but it did give me the confidence to continue on with my life. Knowing that unfortunately, our stories are not as unique as we wish they were. Uh, it's important that we advocate and that we stand by each other and we help other women take care of their health. Created by
