“My main goal with rehab is to be able to walk my dog, Cassie, with my husband again,” says Betty. “I also want to be able to take my daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter clothes shopping.”
“I had smoked for more than 50 years,” says Betty. “Then, five years ago, I started to experience shortness of breath, fatigue, and a lot of phlegm. That’s when I went to see my primary care physician, Arthur Pacia, MD, who diagnosed me with COPD.”
Since her diagnosis, Betty has relied on supplemental oxygen, which has been shown to improve survival in patients with COPD. And though the oxygen helped, Betty was still plagued by shortness of breath and fatigue, greatly impacting her quality of life. Thanks to Dr. Pacia, a RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group provider who specializes in pulmonary disease, Betty learned that there was help nearby.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJUH Hamilton), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, launched a new Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program (pulmonary rehab) in September 2024. Pulmonary rehab, a supervised medical program, can help lessen symptoms, make daily activities easier to do, and improve the quality of life for people with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis, and even long-term Covid. The program is designed around a patient’s specific needs, based on a thorough assessment that includes medical history, symptoms, and current treatments.
“My main goal with rehab is to be able to walk my dog, Cassie, with my husband again,” says Betty. “I also want to be able to take my daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter clothes shopping.”
Betty began her pulmonary rehab and saw improvements after just a few sessions. She works with her respiratory therapists, David Rubino, BSRT, RRT, CPFT and Nicholas Gervasi, MBA, RRT, CPFT, AARC/AACVPR, twice per week during sessions that include education, learning new breathing techniques, and following a personalized exercise plan that includes both strength and aerobic training, using equipment like a treadmill and light weights.
“My fatigue was the worst. Now, I feel like I have more energy, but I also feel like my mood has lifted,” Betty shares. “I really feel better about myself and can already do more at home.”
According to Dr. Pacia, patients suffering from respiratory issues can improve their quality of life with pulmonary rehab. “Mrs. Wade is a highly motivated patient who requested pulmonary rehab to improve her physical endurance and minimize her shortness of breath,” says Dr. Pacia. “After a few weeks of exercise sessions, her dyspnea significantly improved, and she could perform more routine activities with great ease. She expressed to me that pulmonary rehab significantly improved her quality of life. Also, it is so convenient to schedule at RWJUH Hamilton, where they offer a very personalized service. Her experience was totally a healing process."
Candidates for the pulmonary rehab program include patients recovering from an acute episode, people with lung disorders who need conditioning in preparation for surgery, and anyone whose activities are limited by chronic lung disease and shortness of breath. “We are happy to be able to provide this pulmonary rehab option to help people with chronic lung diseases like COPD improve their quality of life, manage symptoms, and breathe better,” says Ang Low, RRT, AARC/AACVPR, Manager of Respiratory Care at RWJUH Hamilton.
“I can’t recommend this program enough,” says Betty. “The staff is wonderful and patient, and they answer all of my questions. I look forward to my appointments and find them all to be a joy!”
At RWJUH Hamilton, each patient’s pulmonary rehabilitation program begins with a comprehensive pulmonary evaluation by a nationally board-certified respiratory therapist trained in pulmonary rehabilitation. Through a carefully planned and individualized program of supervised physical conditioning, exercise, and educational and nutritional counseling, physical capacity is increased, and the patient is empowered to overcome their shortness of breath. The respiratory therapists work with each patient twice per week throughout the length of the program. In addition to exercise and education, every visit includes monitoring of oxygen levels, blood pressure, respiratory and heart rates, as well as lung assessment. Each patient’s progress is constantly being closely monitored and recorded so that it can be shared with the referring physician.
For more information, please call our Pulmonary Rehabilitation specialists at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, 609-689-7086. We will be glad to answer your questions.
Meet Our Pulmonary Therapy Team
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