Cardiac Rehab at NRMC Celebrates 20 Years

Michelle Workman/Daily Mail Nevada Mayor Seth Barrett reads a proclamation honoring the NRMC's Cardiac Rehab clinic, as clinic director Warren Lovinger. center, and NRMC Chief Executive Officer Kevin Leeper listen.

Nevada Daily Mail

The Nevada Regional Medical Center celebrated the Cardiac Rehabilitation Clinic's 20th anniversary Wednesday with a brunch for staff as well as current and previous patients.

Mayor Seth Barrett read a proclamation announcing the week of Feb. 8-13 as cardiac rehab week in honor of the clinic's accomplishment.

"I always see great things going on here," Barrett said. "Congratulations to everyone involved."

Warren Lovinger, the director of the clinic who has been with NRMC for 35 years and involved in the clinic since it started, said he is honored to work with the patients and staff at the clinic.

At the opening of the clinic in 1995, few other clinics were available in the district except in larger cities.

"It was not a rural concept at that time," Lovinger said. "But we thought it should be."

Since its beginning, Lovinger said hundreds of people from Vernon County and surrounding areas have participated in the program, which includes three stages of rehabilitation following a major cardiac event such as a heart attack or surgery.

The first stages are done with close monitoring of the patient as they recover and go through strengthening exercises, while stage three of the program is continued conditioning well after the event with long-term strengthening and well-being as its goal.

Lovinger says they have many patients who continue coming to the clinic for more than a decade because they enjoy participating and seeing their friends and friendly staff there.

"There is no doubt that the quality of life of the people who participate in this kind of program is improved by what they do with us," Lovinger said.

Lovinger and Nancy Wallace, cardiac rehab registered nurse, both said the credit for the success of the clinic goes to the patients and the staff devoted to it.

Since its beginning in a single room of the hospital, Lovinger said the clinic's location has improved to where it is now, its own area in a central location near the lobby of the hospital.

Lovinger said patients often come to the clinic as soon as it opens and patients are regularly there when it comes time to close it at the end of the day. Hospital staff have also begun to use the clinic.

"The city of Nevada, Mo., has the utmost respect, gratitude and admiration for all the men and women who have contributed to the success of the cardiac rehab unit in our own city," Barrett read from the proclamation honoring the clinic.