Region’s Oldest and Largest Hospital-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program Celebrates 30th Anniversary
St. Francis Hospital Marks Three Decades of Care with 30 Patients-Including a Former Bayville Mayor Who’s Been in the Program Since It Began
Greenvale, N.Y.- When Edward Esposito’s doctor recommended that he join an exercise program because he had a family history of heart disease, the soon-to-be Bayville Mayor and Fire Chief took the recommendation very seriously. Now, 30 years later, Mr. Esposito says he feels great knowing he’s been a patient in St. Francis Hospital’s Cardiac Rehabilitation and Fitness Program since its inception.
“It’s changed my life – I couldn’t imagine a week without it,” says the 83-year-old Mr. Esposito, who can attest to the physical, psychological and social benefits of cardiac rehabilitation firsthand. He met his second wife, Sheila, through the program and they’ve both made many life-long friends.
The oldest and largest hospital-based program in the region, located at the DeMatteis Center in Greenvale, celebrated three decades of care on Thursday, November 13 with thirty patients, including the ex-Bayville Mayor and others who have reaped the benefits of regular, medically supervised exercise.
The popular program has come a long way since it began at a gym in Roslyn. It now gets more than 60,000 patient visits a year and offers customized exercise and educational programs aimed at reducing our nation’s number one killer – heart disease.
Director of Cardiac Fitness and Education, Sue Palo, R.N. sees the benefits everyday. “A cardiac event can be a highly traumatic experience to patients and their families,” says Palo. “Our goal is to help people step up to better health – physically and psychologically – and that’s where exercise steps in.
Palo says the equipment has improved over the years, and the program now incorporates moderate weight training. The Espositos donated an exercise bike to the fitness center as a token of their appreciation and look forward to the program’s next anniversary.
Contact:
Paul Barry, 516-705-6657, paul.barry@chsli.org
Rosemary Gomez, 516-705-6656, rosemary.gomez@chsli.org
