Cardiovascular Services

The Interdisciplinary Team is committed to ensuring that each individual’s needs are addressed by:

• Lessening limitations of activities by focusing on the individual’s capabilities and utilizing compensatory strategies and devices
• Providing the highest quality, patient focused rehabilitation
• Removing or lessening restrictions to participation in life situations to the fullest extent possible
• Providing counseling to the individual and family and/or caregiver on alternative possibilities for life participation when necessary
• Preparing the individual, family and/or caregiver to make the transition to the next stage of the rehabilitation process
• Continuum of care with your Cardiology Team
• Cardiac-specific rehabilitation
• Free education from the full-time onsite Dietitian

The Bridges at Ankeny focuses on the cardiac disease as well as the whole body. The skilled colleagues at The Bridges at Ankney emphasize the individual in order to maximize their unique capabilities. With emotional and physical support, warmth, resilience, and empathy, we’ll work together to create a caring community dedicated to supporting the needs of all residents. The loved ones of our residents also get to visit and experience the beauty of the grounds, as well as witness the healing effects of our Cardiac Program.

The goal of The Bridges at Ankeny's Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program is to help you achieve the most active and productive life possible, despite physical limitations. It is divided into two parts: the cardiac program and the pulmonary program. The cardiac program is tailored for individuals with heart disease and the post-operative cardiac patient. The pulmonary program serves young adults through elderly patients, with diagnoses such as COPD - emphysema, bronchitis, bronchiectasis, chronic and acute respiratory failure, and pulmonary fibrosis.

Whether you are living with a chronic lung disease or have suffered an acute lung condition, we assist your recovery with intensive therapy and we teach you strategies to help you manage your condition. The Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Program provides care to all patients admitted secondary to cardiopulmonary dysfunction leading to limitations in functional capabilities. Patients present post-surgically or following an exacerbation of a chronic cardiopulmonary condition and require the level of care provided by an acute rehabilitation hospital. Patients present with various levels of medical acuity which is diagnosis and/or exacerbation based. The patient must be medically stable to be able to be medically managed in the acute rehabilitation environment and to tolerate approximately 1-3 hours of therapy/day. Within a safe, secure and structured environment, The Bridges at Ankeny offers intensive therapy seven days a week. Your schedule will be determined by your individual needs and goals. As a patient in any of The Bridges at Ankeny's programs, you will receive a minimum of 1-3 hours of therapy a day, 5 days per week, generally Monday through Friday, and additional therapy on Saturday and/or Sunday for at least 1.5-2 hours. Skilled therapy will be provided in a combination of physical therapy and occupational therapy and/or speech therapy as needed. Rehabilitation nursing and access to a physician are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.