Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Our whole-person approach helps you address the physical and emotional issues that accompany lung problems.
Lung problems don’t have to keep you from living life to the fullest. Inpatient and outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation through Affinity Health System helps patients in Northeast Wisconsin with pulmonary disease improve their well-being and quality of life. Pulmonary rehabilitation will help you deal with the physical, psychological and social aspects of pulmonary problems.
Pulmonary Experts
Our specially-trained registered nurses, exercise physiologists and registered respiratory therapists will show you how proper exercise, nutrition and breathing can help control pulmonary disease symptoms such as shortness of breath and anxiety.
Is shortness of breath limiting your lifestyle?
Do you or did you...
- smoke?
- work with or live with smokers?
- work with a lot of fumes or dust?
You can live WELL!
What is Pulmonary Rehabilitation?
Pulmonary Rehabilitation is a 6-12 week program that helps you breathe better and improve your overall health. It includes:
- exercise
- education
- support
Care is provided by a team of medical specialists who are trained to help people with lung disease. A lung specialist will evaluate your lung condition and direct a specific program to meet your needs.
How will Pulmonary Rehabilitation help me?
It will provide you with skills that will help you manage your shortness of breath on a daily basis.
- Exercise slowly and progressively increases your strength and stamina to make daily activities easier to accomplish and enjoy.
- Education -You will learn:
- controlled breathing techniques
- medications and inhaler use
- pacing skills
- work simplification
- nutrition
- tobacco cessation
- illness prevention
- home exercise guidelines - Support is provided by the team members and by other people with chronic lung disease who learn and share with each other.
Pulmonary rehabilitation is appropriate for persons with the following lung conditions:
- COPD
- emphysema
- chronic bronchitis
- chronic asthma
- bronchiectasis
- cystic fibrosis
- lung transplant or lung volume reduction surgery
- interstitial lung disease
- pulmonary fibrosis
- sarcoidosis
- farmers lung
Pulmonary (Lung) Disease
More than 12 million people in the U.S. have chronic lung problems. Symptoms of lung problems can be:
- frequent cough or “smokers cough”
- shortness of breath with activity
- excess sputum production
- wheezing
- not being able to take a deep breath in.
Spirometry test
A simple spirometry (breathing) test will tell your doctor if you have a chronic lung condition. After your breathing test, your doctor may recommend that you participate in Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
Pulmonary rehabilitation is available at all three of the following locations:
St. Elizabeth Hospital
Appleton,WI 54915
Mercy Medical Center
Oshkosh,WI 54904
Calumet Medical Center
Chilton,WI 53014
If you feel you may benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation, discuss it with your physician.
Physician referral is required. Most insurance policies cover pulmonary rehabilitation with a qualifying spirometry test. To determine your coverage and plan responsibilities, contact your health plan regarding benefits for outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation.
For more information about Pulmonary Rehabilitation, call Affinity NurseDirect at 1-800-362-9900 or visit www.affinityhealth.org, and search “pulmonary rehabilitation” or “lungs.”
The Pulmonary Rehabilitation programs at Mercy Medical Center and St. Elizabeth Hospital are certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. (AACVPR)
