Helping Hearts Heal and Hope Thrive: Cardiac Rehabilitation at Hunterdon Health

Pat Pittore was honing his life-saving skills when he experienced the symptoms that signaled that his own life was in danger.

“I was doing a training exercise with New Jersey Task Force 1 at Great Adventure last April, and I found myself having trouble keeping up with the others. Then I started having some chest discomfort,” says the 76-year-old Lambertville resident, who has served 59 years as a volunteer emergency medical technician in his community and 23 years as a canine search specialist with New Jersey Task Force 1.

Mr. Pittore shared his symptoms with his cardiologist, Rupen Parikh, MD, FACC, FASE, FASNC, who scheduled a cardiac catheterization procedure that revealed a 75% blockage in one of the main coronary arteries. After clearing the blockage, physicians inserted a stent to keep the artery open.

Mr. Pittore was at home a few days later when he received a call from Hunterdon Medical Center encouraging him to enroll in its cardiac rehabilitation program.

The center’s cardiac rehab services are designed for people who have had a heart attack or a procedure to treat coronary artery disease. The services also are open to people who have had a heart valve replacement or a heart transplant, or who have been treated for peripheral artery disease (PAD). One program involves 36 sessions over a 12-week period. Each 1-hour session includes closely supervised exercise as well as education and counseling on reducing the risk of future cardiovascular events. The center also offers a program designed by Dr. Dean Ornish that takes a multi-faceted approach to preventing and managing heart disease through exercise, diet, and stress reduction. That program entails 3-hour sessions twice weekly over 12 weeks.

Mr. Pittore opted for the Dr. Ornish program. He began attending sessions in late April 2023. At each session, supervised exercise was followed by a group discussion on stress management, instruction in healthy eating, and a review of other topics.

Mr. Pittore gives high marks to Hunterdon Health’s Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation program, and to Dr. Parikh – the program’s medical director – and the nurses, clinical exercise physiologists, and others who work with patients there. “It was a very positive experience for me, and I would encourage others to try it,” he says. 

The ensuing year has been a difficult one, with his wife of 45 years passing in November, but Mr. Pittore says that as he moves through the grieving process, his focus now is on his grandchildren. “I want to be as healthy as possible so that I have as much time as I can to enjoy them and so they can enjoy being with me,” he explains. 

Strong science, real results

When a patient who has had a heart attack or cardiovascular procedure first meets with Lisamarie Buckley, MSN, FNP-BC, CV-BC, getting on a treadmill or lifting weights can be a daunting prospect.

“We understand the apprehension, but we provide lots of reassurance, lots of monitoring, and we ask them to trust the process, to stay focused on their goals, and to know that we’ll help them,” says Ms. Buckley, who serves as Director of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Hunterdon Health.

Over the course of many years directing the program, Ms. Buckley has seen the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation documented in numerous scientific studies and demonstrated in the lives of thousands of patients.

She emphasizes that the physical benefits of cardiac rehabilitation are accompanied by important emotional rewards. “There’s a great camaraderie that develops between people in the program. There’s also the sense that you’re making a real difference in your own life.”

Steve Della Vella couldn’t agree more. “It changed the course of my life,” he says of his participation in Hunterdon Heath’s cardiac rehab program. Last March 16, the retired Johnson & Johnson executive was trap shooting with friends when he developed chest pain. He was having a heart attack due to a significant blockage in a major coronary artery.

After undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention and stent placement at Hunterdon Medical Center, he began attending one-hour rehabilitation sessions three times a week. “The people who work there are amazing. You never see a frown on their faces. They explain everything to you, and they give you the confidence that you are going to beat this thing and that you are going to survive,” he says.

His only complaint about the program? That it came to an end. “I started in early April and I ‘graduated’ on June 30. I didn’t want to quit,” Mr. Della Vella says, adding that he continues to work out on his own.

Dr. Parikh adds that Hunterdon Health has a Phase 3 program, known as the Healthy Heart for Life maintenance program, that will enable people who have completed cardiac rehab there to continue exercising in the Hunterdon Health rehabilitation facilities. While the program will not entail the same degree of monitoring that is provided in the Dr. Ornish or conventional rehab programs, it will allow people to maintain their fitness in a familiar environment with healthcare professionals nearby. 

“We care deeply about the health of our patients when they are facing acute issues, in the aftermath of those issues, and over the long term, and this new program reflects that commitment to their ongoing health and well-being,” Dr. Parikh says.

Could you or someone you know benefit from cardiac rehabilitation?

If so, contact Hunterdon Health’s Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation program at 908-788-6371 or visit their website to learn more.