“My main goal with rehabilitation is to be able to walk my dog, Cassie, with my husband again,” says Betty. “I also want to be able to shop for clothes with my daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter.”

“I had been smoking for over fifty years,” says Betty. “Then, five years ago, I started experiencing shortness of breath, fatigue and a lot of mucus. Then I went to 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 for patients with COPD. And although the oxygen helped, Betty was still plagued by shortness of breath and fatigue, which greatly affected her quality of life. Thanks to Dr. Pacia, a provider of RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group who specializes in lung diseases, Betty learned that help was nearby.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton (RWJUH Hamilton), an RWJBarnabas Health facility, launched a new pulmonary rehabilitation program in September 2024. Pulmonary rehabilitation, a medically supervised program, can help reduce symptoms and make daily activities easier. and improve the quality of life for people with chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis and even long Covid. The program is designed around a patient’s specific needs, based on a thorough assessment of medical history, symptoms and current treatments.

“My main goal with rehabilitation is to be able to walk my dog, Cassie, with my husband again,” says Betty. “I also want to be able to shop for clothes with my daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter.”

Betty started her pulmonary rehabilitation 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 a week in sessions that include education, learning new breathing techniques, and following a personalized exercise plan that includes both strength and aerobic training, using equipment such as 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 improved,” says Betty. “I really feel better about myself and can already do more at home.”

According to Dr. Pacia, patients with breathing problems can improve their quality of life with pulmonary rehabilitation. “Ms. Wade is a highly motivated patient who sought pulmonary rehabilitation to improve her physical endurance and minimize her shortness of breath,” says Dr. Pacia. “After a few weeks of exercise sessions, her shortness of breath improved significantly and she was able to perform more routine activities with great ease She told me that pulmonary rehabilitation has significantly improved her quality of life. It is also so convenient to make an appointment at RWJUH Hamilton, where they provide a very personalized service. Her experience was definitely a healing process.”

Candidates for the pulmonary rehabilitation program include patients recovering from an acute episode, people with lung conditions who need conditioning in preparation for surgery, and anyone whose activities are limited by chronic lung disease and shortness of breath. “We are pleased to offer this pulmonary rehabilitation option to help people with chronic lung diseases like COPD improve their quality of life, manage symptoms and breathe better,” said Ang Low, RRT, AARC/AACVPR, Respiratory Care Manager at RWJUH Hamilton.

“I can’t recommend this program enough,” says Betty. “The staff is wonderful and patient and they answer all my questions. I look forward to my appointments and find them all a pleasure!”

At RWJUH Hamilton, each patient’s pulmonary rehabilitation program begins with a comprehensive pulmonary evaluation by a nationally certified respiratory therapist trained in pulmonary rehabilitation. A carefully planned and individualized program of supervised physical conditioning, exercise, and educational and nutritional counseling will increase physical capacity and enable the patient to overcome his shortness of breath. The respiratory therapists work with each patient twice a week throughout the program. In addition to exercise and education, each visit includes monitoring oxygen levels, blood pressure, breathing and heart rate, as well as an assessment of the lungs. Each patient’s progress is continuously 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 are happy to answer your questions.

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