MelroseWakefield Hospital Reopens Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

MELROSE, MA – The cardiac rehabilitation program at MelroseWakefield Hospital has reopened since its closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, with new improvements and a new space.

The program is designed to help improve patients who have had a heart attack, heart failure, or surgery through exercise and education. Nurses and exercise physiologists work with patients on various exercise equipment while their heart is monitored with an EKG system.

“Evidence-based research shows that cardiac rehabilitation significantly increases the chance of survival in the five years following a heart attack or bypass surgery by about 35%,” Salil Midha, one of the programs co-medical directors, said in a news release. “Those are the outcomes we want for our patients and why it is so important to bring this service back to our community.”

During the program’s closure, co-medical directors Midha and Gerard Daly have given the program a fresh, new space, state of the art equipment and flexible scheduling for patients that will allow easier access to much-needed care.

Classes will now be offered more frequently throughout the day, with smaller class sizes for a more individualized approach. Education will occur in various ways to accommodate patient’s needs and schedules.

“The Cardiovascular Center at MelroseWakefield Hospital continues to grow and develop,” Daly said in the release. “By bringing cardiac rehab back on campus to complement our nationally-recognized cardiovascular services including a cardiac-catheterization lab, vein center, and interventional radiology services, we are bringing that continuum of cardiovascular care to our community.”