Corewell Health expands cardiac care

Corewell Health West. Courtesy Corewell Health System

A new program for cardiac rehabilitation patients will teach skills such as safe exercise, nutrition and cooking. 

Corewell Health West now offers Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation (ICR), a program providing comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation care for patients who have undergone a cardiac procedure or have had a cardiovascular event. 

Pritikin ICR, based on the Pritikin lifestyle program, includes safe exercise, a balanced eating plan based on minimally processed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meat, and a healthy mindset. 

“Leading medical journals have published more than 100 peer-reviewed studies that have validated the Pritikin lifestyle program’s efficacy in addressing heart disease, as well as a variety of other health conditions and diseases,” said Dr. Thomas Boyden, Corewell Health West medical director for preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation.

Boyden said research shows the program provides an opportunity for improved patient outcomes, such as reduced cholesterol and triglycerides, reduced chronic inflammation, lowered blood pressure, reduction or elimination of medications and long-term program adherence.

Corewell’s Pritikin ICR program teaches patients how to exercise through individualized plans  including cardiovascular conditioning, resistance training and flexibility components as well as balance training and fall prevention. Patients also attend cooking school workshops to learn skills such as how to add low-sodium flavor to dishes, how to make protein-rich meals using plant-based ingredients and how to make desserts using Pritikin-style cooking techniques. Nutrition and healthy mindset workshops will educate patients on the ways in which food and outlook influence heart health. 

Pritikin ICR is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and approved for reimbursement by Medicare and most insurance companies for patients with a qualifying diagnosis.

The program also offers 72 sessions of exercise and education, twice the number of Medicare-covered sessions compared to traditional programs.

Corewell Health West’s ICR program launched on Oct. 31 at Corewell’s Heart and Vascular Cardiac Rehabilitation center in Grand Rapids. Future ICR program expansion is planned for regional cardiac rehabilitation sites at Corewell Health Big Rapids, Gerber, Ludington and Greenville hospitals.

Medical conditions that qualify patients for participation in Pritikin ICR include heart attack, coronary artery bypass surgery, angioplasty, stable angina, heart or heart-lung transplants, and heart valve repair or replacements.