Inside Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg is the Cardiac Rehab department where you’ll find Michelle Hardister, a nurse who helped open the department 31 years ago, hard at work with her patients.
A typical day in Cardiac Rehab consists of patient wellness programs, blood pressure being taken and telemetry monitoring, coupled with a lot of chatter and laughter, says Hardister.
“Exercise and socialization play a huge role in patient recovery,” says Hardister. “Patients are not only here to get their physical bodies stronger but to also improve how they feel about their health.”
Patients attending Cardiac Rehab may be recovering from a heart bypass, transplant, valve surgery, balloon or stenting procedure, heart attack, or living with heart failure.
Hardister reflected on one patient in particular who she will never forget: “She first came in using a wheelchair and as time progressed she went from a walker to not using any assistive devices at all,” she says. “She went from being very nervous to becoming a wonderful advocate for Cardiac Rehab and would encourage our new patients by telling them to ‘Look at me now!’”
Hardister says her favorite part of the job is her daily interactions with patients and coming up with exercise plans that fit their individual needs.
As a reminder during Heart Month, Hardister suggests being proactive about your health by getting yearly screenings, practicing moderation instead of deprivation, and finding an exercise you enjoy and making it a part of your routine at least 4-5 times a week for 30 minutes. Regular activity, she adds, not only helps physically but emotionally and mentally as well.
To learn more about cardiac services at Ascension Via Christi, go to ascension.org/viachristiheart.
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About Ascension Via Christi
In Kansas, Ascension Via Christi operates seven hospitals and 75 other sites of care and employs nearly 6,400 associates. Across the state, Ascension Via Christi provided nearly $89 million in community benefit and care of persons living in poverty in fiscal year 2021. Serving Kansas for more than 135 years, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension is the leading non-profit and Catholic health system in the U.S., operating more than 2,600 sites of care – including 145 hospitals and more than 40 senior living facilities – in 19 states and the District of Columbia. Visit www.ascension.org.
