NMMC-Iuka Cardiac Rehab Earns National Certification
Heart patients in Tishomingo County now have a nationally certified recovery program close to home. The NMMC-Iuka cardiac rehab program at North Mississippi Medical Center-Iuka has earned certification from the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR), North Mississippi Health Services announced.
The certification is a notable step for a program that is only about two years old. NMMC-Iuka first added cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation and peripheral artery disease (PAD) therapy in the fall of 2024.
What the NMMC-Iuka cardiac rehab certification means
AACVPR certification is a national review of how a rehab program operates. To earn it, NMMC-Iuka submitted extensive documentation of its practices. The association then checked the program against standards and guidelines set by AACVPR and other professional groups, including measures of how patients actually do.
- Applications are reviewed by AACVPR’s Program Certification Committee.
- Certification is awarded by the AACVPR Board of Directors.
- The certification is valid for three years.
For patients, it is a sign that the program meets the same benchmarks used to judge cardiac rehab programs at larger hospitals around the country.
Who the program helps
Cardiac rehabilitation combines exercise, education, counseling and support to help people manage their heart health. It is aimed especially at people recovering from a heart attack or coronary artery bypass surgery, and the support extends to patients’ families too.
When the Iuka program opened in 2024, NMHS said eligible participants include people who have had:
- A heart attack or bypass surgery
- Heart valve repair or replacement, or a heart transplant
- Angioplasty or stenting
- Stable angina (chest pain) or stable heart failure with a low ejection fraction
The program usually starts two to four weeks after a patient leaves the hospital. Most people attend hour-long supervised exercise sessions two or three days a week for eight to 12 weeks. Staff monitor heart rhythm, heart rate, blood pressure and how hard patients feel they are working during each session. In 2024, NMHS said sessions were offered Monday through Friday at several times through the morning and at noon.
Other rehab services at NMMC-Iuka
The Iuka hospital also offers pulmonary rehabilitation for people with COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, asthma, pulmonary fibrosis and other chronic lung conditions. It also offers supervised exercise therapy for peripheral artery disease, which helps people walk farther without leg pain.
All of the programs require a referral from a health care provider, and insurance coverage varies by policy. For more information, the hospital listed its rehab number as (662) 423-4081 when the services launched. The NMHS help line, The Desk, can be reached at 1-800-843-3375.
NMMC-Iuka is also offering a low-cost screening this month. See our story on the $99 lung cancer screening at NMMC-Iuka.
