Cardiac Health Services
Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Battle Creek Health System
 What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation?
Pulmonary rehabilitation is an exercise and education program designed for those with chronic lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, and others. By conditioning your muscles we can help you accomplish daily tasks with greater ease.
What can I expect to achieve in this program?
We will work with your through not only the actual rehabilitation exercise regimen, but also through education. To strengthen your lungs and respiratory system, we will create an individual exercise program that is monitored by licensed respiratory therapists. In no time at all, you will begin to notice that many of your daily tasks will come easier once we help you increase your strength and endurance.
From an education standpoint, we will help you better understand your lung disease and how to manage it. We will work with you to make specific guided goals and then monitor their progression at each session. You will not be alone on your journey of pulmonary rehabilitation; we will be with your every step of the way.
What can I expect in the program?
Quite a lot actually. The program consists of both exercise and education classes. Your family is welcome to attend as well to learn first hand what you are doing in rehabilitation.
The first three weeks will consist of education classes followed by an exercise session. Education topics include pulmonary disease, infection, energy conservation, nutrition, medication, therapy and treatment options, stress management, spirituality, and relaxation. During this time we will work together to build your personal exercise program using a variety of equipment.
After completing the education portion of the program, we recommend that you exercise 2 to 3 times a week for up to 18 sessions. Attendance is very important to this program. To be effective, you should attend exercises 2 to 3 sessions each week.
The entire program generally lasts between 8 and 12 weeks depending upon your progress. Once you have completed the program, we offer a maintenance program that we encourage you to consider.
How do I get involved?
Your involvement in the pulmonary program may come from several sources. Your physician may have referred you to the program or you may have heard of it from a friend. If your physician referred you to us you can expect some literature in the mail from the pulmonary rehabilitation department as well as a follow-up telephone call to discuss your participation. If you have not been referred by a physician but heard about us from a friend, we offer two options. First you can contact your physician to discuss whether this program is right for you, or you can call us at our office and we will be happy to contact your physician for you.
Will my insurance cover the program?
Pulmonary rehabilitation is a covered benefit of Medicare and Medicaid. Many other insurance plans cover all or at least some of this program. To find out what your insurance will cover, it is best that you contact the company directly.
What do I need to participate?
To be part of this program, you should have had a lung function test (also called spirometery) done within the last year. This may have been completed in your doctor’s office or in the hospital. If you have not had this test performed, we can talk with your physician and arrange to have it completed.
You will also need to have quit smoking or be actively in the process of quitting. Many insurance plans will not cover the program if you continue to smoke.
What do I do after my program is completed?
After you complete the program we strongly encourage patients to continue an exercise plan. Without continual exercise, you will lose many of the benefits you have gained during this program. There are a variety of options to help you. We offer a self-pay maintenance program where you choose the days and times you would like to exercise and pay per session. Purchasing a pre-paid punch card from the pulmonary rehabilitation department does this. All cards are either for 6 or 12 visits. There are also many community exercise programs available and we also encourage your patients to check these out to find the program that is suitable for them.
How do I contact the pulmonary rehabilitation department?
You can reach us by calling (269) 966-8438 M-F, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please feel free to leave us a voicemail if you are calling after office hours. We will return your call during the next business day.
The Battle Creek Health System pulmonary rehabilitation department is located on the second floor of the outpatient center. We are certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular Rehabilitation, which means our program meets or exceeds the high-required standards of care.
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