New cardiac rehab program puts focus on education as well as exercise

Jan. 12, 2026 -- Reid Health has partnered with Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation to retool Reid's cardiac rehab program with the goal of helping patients make long-term lifestyle changes.

Cardiac rehabilitation helps those who've recently had a significant heart event such as surgery, bypass, or a heart attack to recover, heal, and gain strength.

The new program's three pillars -- exercise, heart-healthy nutrition, and a healthy mindset -- aim to improve health outcomes, give patients a better experience, and reduce readmissions to the hospital.

"This is a top-of-the-line class not usually available at a community hospital," said Chelsea Eldridge, Vascular, Cardiothoracic & Cardiopulmonary Rehab Practice Manager for Reid Health. "We're able to help those folks and give them lifestyle changes that are doable and not farfetched.

"If you take one or two things from this class and put it into your everyday life, that's fantastic."

Cardiac rehab patients continue to attend 36 sessions, but those visits now include both exercise and education components during about a 90-minute time period. The educational part of the program varies depending on the day of the session:

• Mondays are workshop days. Patients learn lifestyle tips for things like healthy eating, how to get more rest, and dealing with stress.
• Wednesdays are for the cooking school, which includes live demonstrations and a Pritikin dietician available over video to answer questions.
• Fridays are video days when patients watch lessons on a variety of healthy lifestyle topics.

"This is a top-of-the-line class not usually available at a community hospital. We're able to help those folks and give them lifestyle changes that are doable and not farfetched." -- Chelsea Eldridge, Reid Health Vascular, Cardiothoracic & Cardiopulmonary Rehab Practice Manager

"We've had so many patients compliment us over the first few weeks," Eldridge said. "They're just really excited about some of these things."

Throughout the program, patients can take notes in their personal guidebook, which can then be used as a reference once they've completed all their sessions. Upon graduation, participants receive a diploma and a special T-shirt.

"We're trying to make it a little more special," Eldridge said. "It's a big accomplishment because we're asking them to change their lifestyle.

"We're already seeing their transformation, and it's fantastic."

Learn more about cardiac rehabilitation at Reid Health at https://www.reidhealth.org/services/heart-vascular-center/cardiopulmonary-rehabilitation.