CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Adventist Health Clear Lake is offering a six-week Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program designed to help improve the quality of life for people with chronic lung disease including COPD, asthma and pulmonary fibrosis.

The six-week program teaches patients about their disease, and gives them the skills to manage it in their day-to-day activities.

Patients learn breathing techniques, how to cope with anxiety and shortness of breath, safe ways to exercise, and education about medications specific to their lung conditions.

Enrollees who successfully complete the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program are encouraged to return to a maintenance class to exercise and receive continued support from the respiratory staff and fellow pulmonary rehabilitation graduates.

“I have seen people enter the program struggling to breathe with every movement, and 6 weeks later, they leave the class more knowledgeable about their condition, more relaxed, less anxious and having less shortness of breath” states Debra Baker, Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program coordinator.

The program starts with an initial assessment and pulmonary function test. From this assessment, an individual program is designed for each patient based on their needs and goals.

The program includes exercise training, education about proper breathing techniques, and lung management skills to help patients improve their quality of life.

The success of the program is evidenced by graduates who get through their daily tasks without experiencing severe shortness of breath and by less frequent visits to the emergency department for breathing complications.

“I feel less short of breath, can go swimming now, and can take two-hour breaks off of my oxygen!” said recent Pulmonary Rehabilitation graduate Theresa Holaway after completion of the program.

“This has been a great program for our Lake County community and for patients that have come from outside the county to attend. My staff is attentive and caring and will go above and beyond for all our patients” says Kevin Cole, director of Cardiopulmonary Department at Adventist Health Clear Lake Medical Center.

Adventist Health Clear Lake’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program is approved by Medicare and most private insurance companies.

Learn more about how pulmonary rehabilitation can help improve the quality of life for people with chronic lung disease by calling the team at 707-995-5624.

The Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program is located at the Hilltop Professional Building, 15322 Lakeshore Blvd., Suite 204, in Clearlake.