Memorial's Cardiac Rehab Team receives new diagnostic equipment - KPLC 7 News, Lake Charles, Louisiana

The following is a Press Release from the Lake Charles Memorial Hospital:

The Lake Charles Memorial Hospital (LCMH) Volunteer Auxiliary and Foundation recently donated a new telemetry system to the hospital's cardiac rehabilitation program.

The Quinton® Q-Tel® Rehabilitation and Management System is able to produce quality diagnostic telemetry readings that will identify heart beat changes or arrhythmias.  The telemetry system has a built in charting and automated reporting system.    

The Quinton® system will be used in conjunction with the National Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Registry that went live this past July. 

"The system is the first of its kind in the U.S. that will provide Memorial's cardiac rehab team with the means to track, document, and communicate patient outcomes and program performance in accordance with evidence-based guidelines," says Michelle Smith, nurse manager of Memorial's Cardiac Rehab Department.  "In addition, it will demonstrate impact of physical function and quality of life for heart patients, morbidity and mortality."

Memorial's Cardiac Rehabilitation Phase II is a supervised outpatient program of individually prescribed exercise with continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring.  The exercise program is based on an individualized exercise prescription of intensity, duration, frequency, and type of exercise.  Patient education and lifestyle modification are an important part of cardiac rehab. 

LCMH Cardiac Rehab department is certified through the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehab.  This telemetry system is designed to support the requirements needed for the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) Certification.

LCMH Cardiac Rehab Staff includes: Michelle Smith, RNC, Shanna Gilbert MS, CEP, Celeste Jarrell, RN, and Jessica Fontenot, RN.