Cardiac Rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation, also called cardiac rehab, is a medically supervised program for people who have had a heart attack, heart failure, heart valve surgery, coronary artery bypass grafting, or percutaneous coronary intervention. Cardiac rehab involves adopting heart-healthy lifestyle changes to address risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

To help you adopt lifestyle changes, this program includes exercise training, education on heart-healthy living, and counseling to reduce stress, helping you return to an active life. Cardiac rehab can improve your health and quality of life, reduce the need for medicines to treat heart or chest pain, decrease the chance you will go back to a hospital or emergency room for a heart problem, prevent future heart problems, and even help you live longer.

Your therapy team will work with you to tailor a program that fits your life and needs as the goal of South County’s program is to help you with your goals.

Cardiac Rehab Involves:

• Medically supervised exercise counseling and training: You’ll learn how to get your body moving, your heart pumping, and your cardiovascular system working in order to promote heart health. Includes programming focused on cardiovascular training, strength and balance with your goals in mind.
• Education for heart-healthy living: A key element of cardiac rehab, learn how to manage your risk factors, choose good nutrition, quit smoking, self-manage diabetes, and other heart-healthy lifestyle changes.
• Counseling to reduce stress: Identify and tackle everyday sources of stress that can affect your heart.

Common benefits of cardiac rehabilitation include increased confidence and energy, optimizing medical management, and returning to previous activity levels.

"I would like to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to the SC Pulmonary Rehab Team! I participated in their 8-week program following a lengthy hospitalization and recovery. I feel the program and staff provided me with essential tools and tips to assist me with getting back to my baseline. The team there (Maggie, Matt and Chuck) we always kind, thoughtful and provided encouragement each and every session. I feel the rehab program has jumpstarted my recovery and I’m closer to having my life back. Maggie communicated with my physician and provided some great ideas to help me deal with the symptoms I’ve been experiencing. My physician was able to order the necessary medications and/or equipment to excel my recovery as well. The team provided a helpful packet with handouts. I still refer back to this info each week. The team works collaboratively and always throws some humor into the situation. I highly recommend the program and want to say Thank You to the rehab team. I am beyond grateful."

- Anonymous Patient

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program designed for people who have chronic lung disease. Its primary goal is to enable people to achieve and maintain their maximum level of independence and function.

Although most pulmonary rehabilitation programs focus on people who have Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), people with other types of lung disease may benefit as well. People in all age groups can benefit.

South County Health’s personalized pulmonary rehabilitation program can help improve your quality of life by reducing shortness of breath, increasing exercise tolerance and fitness, and promoting a sense of well-being.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation Involves:
 

Most people who complete a pulmonary rehab program feel healthier and more empowered. They report feeling less short of breath, more energetic, and more in control of their lung condition. People who keep up their exercise level can keep their benefits lasting for years.

Rehab may also help prevent you from going to the hospital due to COPD flare-ups or “exacerbations.” Even people with advanced lung disease can benefit from pulmonary rehab.

Meet the South County Health Wellness and Rehab team!

Kelly Bianco, MS, RD, LDN 

Kelly is a registered dietitian who graduated from the University of Rhode Island with her master’s degree in 2020. She was born and raised in Rhode Island and currently resides in North Kingstown with her husband Jay, son Benjamin, daughter Bria, and crazy lab Tito. In her free time, she can be found in the kitchen testing out a new recipe, on the tennis court, or rooting for the New England Patriots.

Matthew Callaghan, BS-ET, CES 
 

Matt is a graduate of the Kinesiology/Exercise Science program from the University of Rhode Island, with a minor in psychology. He is a certified Cancer Exercise Specialist. A cancer survivor himself, Matt assists other survivors to maximize health and well-being through South County’s Oncology Rehab & Wellness Program. He loves sports, especially baseball, but his team wears pin stripes.

Caitlin Cosgrove, RN BSN

Caitlin is a registered nurse who graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2011. She was born and raised in Rochester, New Hampshire. After graduating she moved to San Diego, California as a travel nurse with her husband Brian before returning to Rhode Island. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her son Miles and rescue dog named Dora who is a beagle mix.

Nicole DiLibero, BS-ET, CES

Nicole received her degree in Kinesiology/Exercise Science from the University of Rhode Island in 2016 and is a certified Cancer Exercise Specialist. She also oversees the exercise component to South County Health’s nationally certified Oncology Wellness program. Born and raised in Cranston, she is a former track and cross-country runner. She has a Lhasa Apso dog named Jager who has his own Instagram page!

Ann Marie Lagor, MS, LMT

Ann Marie has been with South County Health since 2001 following the completion of her master’s degree in Clinical Exercise Science from the University of Rhode Island. Ann Marie is a licensed massage therapist specializing in both therapeutic chair and table massage. Ann Marie lives in Charlestown with her son Max, two cats Keanu and Huck and a fish named Gandhi.

Maggie Mann, RRT, A-EC

Maggie is our programs registered respiratory therapist and a Nationally Certified Asthma Educator. She is our pulmonary rehab expert and is here to assist you with lung disease management, use of inhalers, and breathing techniques. Maggie runs the hospital’s Stop Smoking Program. Maggie enjoys golfing and traveling with her husband Rob. She is a huge Disney fan and has made over 12 trips to Disney World.

Chuck Picillo, BS-ET, CPPS, Team Leader

Chuck has been an exercise physiologist with our program since 2003 and was named Team Leader in 2019. Born and raised in Warwick, he graduated from the University of Rhode Island’s Exercise Science program in 2003, where he was a student athlete competing in Track & Field. He is married to his best friend Heather and has two beautiful children, a son named Landon and an adorable girl named Deirdra. When not at work, Chuck can be found playing soccer or at the soccer fields supporting his children’s athletic endeavors. He has an interest in sports performance and enjoys training and working out with his children. Chuck is also car detailing enthusiast. If you have any car detailing question, don’t hesitate to ask him!