Shuswap Cardiac Society launches new rehab program in Salmon Arm

A new rehabilitation centre in the heart of Salmon Arm aims to help Shuswap residents recover from a cardiac event and live longer, healthier lives.

The Shuswap Cardiac Society has a new home in downtown Salmon Arm, where the non-profit offers a three month, “comprehensive, evidence-based cardiac rehab program.”

Before the Shuswap Cardiac Society opened the doors at its new space on Alexander Street, the closest cardiac rehabilitation program was in Kelowna.

Dr. Laurie Main, president of the Shuswap Cardiac Society, is a cardiac specialist who has been practicing in Salmon Arm for more than six years. After working with cardiac patients from across the region, Main saw the need for a rehabilitation program available closer to home.

Main, who founded the Shuswap Cardiac Society a year ago, now has a new clinic for her own practice with spaces set aside for the rehab programs.

Program lead Jeramie Auchterlonie said he and Main have a unique vision for the program.

“The literature shows that resistance training is actually better for cardiac rehabilitation than just going on a treadmill or a bike,” he said. “We do cardio training, we do resistance training and we do stability training for older people too.

“We add every type of training into these sessions and try to holistically strengthen the entire body so we can avoid anything in the future.”

The other unique part of the program is a commitment to proactive healthcare and reactive healthcare. The program aims to help people that are recovering from a cardiac event along with people who don't have cardiac disease but might be on their way towards it.

"Anybody with one or more risk factors for cardiac disease can enter this program, which I think is a big difference compared to other programs," Auchterlonie said.

Along with 24 active exercise sessions, clients enrolled in the rehabilitation program also attend 24 educational sessions to learn more about how to improve their cardiac health. All of the educational sessions are streamed live on Zoom for anyone in the community to watch and learn from as well.

So far, they have approximately 20 people enrolled in the program with space for about 20 more.

The cardiac rehabilitation program currently costs $600, but the long-term goal is to make the program free.

“$600 is our operational cost, and we don't want to make people pay it, but if you can afford it, this is what it costs,” Auchterlonie said. “If you can't, what can you pay? And if you can't pay anything, then please come. …We don't turn people away.

“So far, everyone's been pretty willing to pay it, which is nice because it helps us run."

The society is officially a non-profit organization, and the plan is to make the program free with a doctor’s referral once enough funding is secured.

“We've applied for more than $400,000 in funding, it's just when that gets released is one component of it and also we're not charity status yet,” Auchterlonie said.

The society is hopeful that their charity status application will be approved in the new year and once they have that status more funding options will be available to them, including eventual funding through Interior Health.

Once patients graduate from the three-month cardiac rehabilitation program they can join the ongoing cardiac health maintenance program. This program offers them twice a week fitness classes led by a kinesiologist for only $50 a month.

So far the society has enjoyed a warm welcome from local businesses.

“We've had great community partners,” Auchterlonie said. “We're trying to be low cost, we're not trying to make money off this, but it's expensive.”

Dynoflex donated rubberized flooring for their exercise area, and Red Tag Fitness in Kamloops provided a discount on equipment and installation. Community Futures helped with a business loan to cover the remaining equipment costs.

The Shuswap Cardiac Society is also taking memberships to help fund the program. Anyone can make a once yearly $100 donation to join the society and help fund a program that makes a difference in the health of the community. Members get access to special discounts at a wide range of local Salmon Arm businesses.

Anyone who thinks they might be a candidate for the cardiac rehabilitation program can enter as long as they receive a doctor's referral.

Visit the Shuswap Cardiac Society website to learn more about the society, the rehabilitation program or to print out a referral form.

The new home of the Shuswap Cardiac Society is located at 300 Alexander St., next to the Salmar Classic Theatre.