New Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) recently launched a program to treat patients with chronic breathing problems.

The new pulmonary rehabilitation program is designed to treat and reduce systems associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), said hospital officials.

COPD refers to chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases of the lung in which the airways become narrowed. This narrowing leads to a limitation of air flowing to and from the lungs, which causes shortness of breath. COPD is the leading cause of death, illness and disability in the country. Tobacco is a key factor in the development and progression of COPD, but asthma, exposure to air pollutants in the home and workplace, genetic factors and respiratory infections also play a role.

Patients participating in pulmonary rehabilitation will undergo three one-hour sessions per week for 12 weeks, with one-on-one guidance by trained clinical staff. The sessions provide for muscle strengthening and aerobic capacity drills tailored to each individual’s condition. Patients will also receive nutrition education and, if necessary, smoking cessation instructions.

“The goal of pulmonary rehab is to reduce patients’ symptoms, increase their participation in physical and social activities, and improve their overall quality of life,” said Penny Oyler, BRMC’s director of Cardiopulmonary Services.

Enrolling in the pulmonary rehabilitation program requires a physician’s referral.

Patients are encouraged to contact their doctor for a referral to the new program.

“Pulmonary rehabilitation is an integral part of the clinical management and health maintenance of those patients with chronic respiratory disease who remain symptomatic or continue to have decreased function despite standard medical treatment,” said Frank Arnal, M.D., F.C.C.P, the pulmonary medical director at BRMC. Dr. Arnal is board certified in Pulmonary, Internal, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine.

For more information about pulmonary rehabilitation, go online at www.brmc.com and click on MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, or call Ms. Oyler at 814-362-8268.

Bradford Regional Medical Center and Olean General Hospital are members of Upper Allegheny Health System.

Pictured, Jack Blessing, who’s enrolled in the new pulmonary rehabilitation program at Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC), works out on an Airdyne exercise bike at the hospital’s Upbeat Wellness/Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit. Closely monitoring him is Frank Arnal, M.D., F.C.C.P, the pulmonary medical director at BRMC, and Penny Oyler, BRMC’s director of Cardiopulmonary Services.
Photo courtesy of BRMC