Prineville hospital adding COPD rehab services
Residents of Prineville with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, can now receive cardiopulmonary rehabilitation close to home.
Beginning Nov. 7, Pioneer Memorial Hospital will offer the service Wednesday and Friday afternoons. Patients require a referral from their pulmonologist or primary care physician.
“Rather than having to travel to Bend, Prineville residents will have access to this program in their hometown and will be able to improve their quality of life,” said Amy Cavallaro, a respiratory therapist and St. Charles’ supervisor of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation.
COPD is one of the most common lung diseases and primarily caused by smoking. It can take two forms: chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
Patients with COPD suffer from shortness of breath and tend to become less active over time, Cavallaro said. But the less fit they are, the more exertion it takes for them to breathe. “It’s just this downward spiral,” she said.
Through the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program, patients slowly regain their fitness and relearn how to breathe. They also receive education on COPD, how to properly take their medications and avoid foods that adversely affect their breathing.
For more information about the program, contact Amy Cavallaro at 541.706.4865.
About St. Charles Health System
St. Charles Health System, Inc., headquartered in Bend, Ore., owns and operates the St. Charles medical centers in Bend and Redmond, as well as family care clinics in Bend, Prineville, Redmond and Sisters. The health system also leases and operates Pioneer Memorial Hospital in Prineville and provides management services for Mountain View Hospital in Madras. St. Charles is a private, not-for-profit Oregon corporation and is the largest employer in Central Oregon with more than 3,000 caregivers in Bend, Redmond and Prineville. In addition, there are more than 350 active medical staff members and nearly 200 visiting medical staff members who partner with St. Charles to provide a wide range of care and service to our communities.
