Cardiac Rehabilitation

UNC Heart & Vascular offers cardiac rehabilitation as a service to any patient that would benefit. The medically supervised program provides support following a number of heart events and issues. The program provides participants with a personalized treatment plan, support in supervised exercise classes, nutrition counseling and ongoing evaluation. 

Qualifying Conditions

The cardiac rehabilitation program is intended for patients with certain conditions. The program is tailored with these conditions in mind:

• Coronary angioplasty
• Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG)
• Heart or lung transplant 
• Heart valve repair or replacement
• Myocardial infarction (heart attack) within the past 12 months
• Pacemaker clinic (not covered by Medicare)
• Stable angina (chest pain)
• Stable chronic heart failure

Program Information

The cardiac rehabilitation program is designed with your health in wellness in mind. Your personalized program may resemble the following: 

1. Orientation and tour: Your care team will give you a tour of our facility as well as answer any questions you may have about the program. 
2. Pre-assessment: To make sure you are healthy enough for the program, as well as to get a baseline of your current health and well-being, your care team will assess your medical, physical, nutritional and mental health. 
3. Creation of Individualized Treatment Plan (ITP): Each participant will work with the team to create a personalized treatment plan. You will identify your goals and work together to achieve them. 
4. Class Schedule Selection: Class will be scheduled three times per week for 10-12 weeks. You can choose days and times that work best for you. 
5. Begin Class: You will begin classes under the direct supervision of a cardiac-trained registered nurse and an exercise physiologist. A UNC Heart & Vascular cardiologist will be onsite for every session. In addition to exercise, you will meet with a registered dietician and continue learning helpful skills. You will be evaluated throughout the program and review your ITP every 30 days. 
6. Graduation: You did it! We are happy to celebrate each and every participant in our cardiac rehab program. You have worked hard to implement lifestyle changes that will continue to positively impact your health and well-being. You will meet with a personal trainer at Quest4Life Wellness Center to plan your future exercise schedule. If you choose to work with the Quest4Life team, membership discounts will be available. 

How to Enroll

The cardiac rehabilitation program requires a referral. If you think you could benefit from cardiac rehab, speak with your primary care provider or your cardiologist. If you have any questions about the program, please reach out at 828-757-6462