Joan & Joel Smilow Cardiac Prevention & Rehabilitation Center —Inpatient Program

Following heart surgery or hospitalization for a heart-related problem, you may benefit from cardiac rehabilitation at NYU Langone’s Joan and Joel Smilow Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation Center inpatient program. Your need for this service depends on your medical condition and your physical ability.

For most patients, care starts at NYU Langone’s Tisch Hospital, where you receive rehabilitation to help you become well enough to return home. Those who still require intensive rehabilitation after their hospital stay are referred for treatment at the Joan and Joel Smilow Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation Center’s inpatient program, which is part of NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation.

Our physiatrists—doctors who specialize in rehabilitation medicine—and cardiologists work with you to identify your inpatient rehabilitation needs and treatment goals. Based on these objectives, a plan is designed to help you achieve the best possible outcome.

Our Inpatient Program

The initial phase of cardiac rehabilitation begins as an inpatient at Tisch Hospital.

During this acute hospital care period, the goals are to:

• prevent the negative effects of bedrest
• promote independence by focusing on your ability to get up, move around, and perform the activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, and feeding
• make these activities easier to accomplish, with an emphasis on energy conservation, pacing, and task simplification
• learn a home exercise program that can be followed after leaving the hospital
• assess the need for adaptive equipment and order it as needed

When patients are referred for admission to our acute inpatient cardiac rehabilitation program, the goals of inpatient rehabilitation are to:

• optimize your medical condition
• maximize functional independence by focusing on strength, balance, walking, and the activities of daily living
• improve your confidence and quality of life
• educate you on medication management as well as lifestyle changes that can help you prevent future illness
• help you start a lifestyle modification program that may include quitting smoking, losing weight, and taking steps to control diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension
• establish an appropriate discharge plan for community reintegration
• provide you with an individualized home exercise program

After your health and strength have improved enough that you may return home, rehabilitation therapists from a community home health care agency provide 30- to 60-minute therapy sessions two or three times a week. As you get stronger, you transition to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation at Rusk Rehabilitation. After completing outpatient treatment, we give you the tools you need to adhere to a lifelong heart-health program, including an exercise plan you can use at your local gym or at home.