Providence launches Chewelah heart rehab program at St. Joseph’s Hospital after patient’s donation

St. Joseph’s Hospital’s new cardiac rehabilitation unit will keep Chewelah’s elderly residents from driving to Spokane to recover after heart surgery.

Beginning to see patients in the coming weeks, the program offers a much-needed service that is not available elsewhere in the area, said Shaina Schroeder, St. Joseph ’s director of patient services.

“If a patient had their surgery at Sacred Heart, they may choose not to make the drive repeatedly to Spokane to get the care and the education that is so beneficial to their health in the weeks and months after surgery,” she said. “Now they won’t have to make that choice.”

The move comes eight months after Providence ended its orthopedic physical therapy clinic at the hospital, which were part of 60 Providence layoffs across Spokane and Stevens County at the time. Opening of the new cardiac rehabilitation unit was evidence Providence was still invested in the future of St. Joseph’s hospital.

“We had done some consolidation of some of our therapy services up to Mount Carmel, which was a disappointment to many folks here at St. Joseph’s, and I think was perceived as we’re walking away from Chewelah. We are not walking away from Chewelah,” said Providence Inland Northwest CEO Susan Stacey.

The new outpatient unit will provide group heart health classes for a range of conditions – from those who just had open heart surgery to those with regular chest pain.

Cardiac rehabilitation helps patients recover and strengthen their heart following a diagnosis or heart procedure. Patients will receive recommendations on how to stay physically active, create a heart-healthy diet and be provided emotional support. Heart health education provided at the group classes includes weight management, blood pressure control, nutrition and mental health.

“This is a place where you can learn the tools so you don’t have another heart attack, and how to manage heart conditions in your day to day lives,” Schroeder said.

Once the program opens, approximately five classes will be run each day, with some 37 patients helped daily. Patients from surrounding communities north of Spokane will be referred to the hospital for the rehabilitation services.

“Cardiac rehab is very specialized, and there’s only a few places that have it. Providence has one in Spokane at St. Luke’s. There is one in Moses Lake and a couple other places. But on the north side, they have never had a specialized program,” Schroeder said.

The program was made possible by a donation from Chewelah resident and one-time Providence cardiac patient Lu Caudill. After having a heart attack several years ago, Caudill realized how difficult it was to travel to Spokane multiple times a week as an elderly woman for cardiac rehabilitation.

“It was always here when I needed it. I think most of the doctors were very, very good and knew what they were doing. The staff was very good too. But it was, it was nearly everything I needed for a long time,” Caudill said.

“I always come here to St. Joseph’s when I needed it. But after my heart, I realized that there was none of that here. Now that we have this here, I think it’ll be a big circle who comes to get care.”