For Immediate Release:
November 30, 2012

Southcoast Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab receives mini grant from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Grant will provide financial assistance for cardiac and pulmonary patients in need of rehabilitation

Don MacKay, Sales Program Manager for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care; Joyce Grusmark, Manager of Southcoast Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab; and Kurt Simon, Cardiopulmonary Care Clinician for Southcoast Health System. Download hi-res image

FALL RIVER, Mass. — Southcoast™ Health System's Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab program has been awarded a $500 mini grant from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care to provide financial assistance to Southcoast cardiac and pulmonary patients who would benefit from attending the Southcoast Medical Fitness Program.

"My initial visit to the Southcoast Medical Fitness Program was to review the fitness center to ensure that it met Harvard Pilgrim's qualifications for our members," said Don MacKay, Sales Program Manager at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. "I was so impressed with the facility and the staff that I wanted to find a way to support the program on a larger scale. I submitted an application for the grant and was honored to come back to present the check to the program."

"We are very proud to have been approved for this mini grant and to receive our certification as an approved fitness center for Harvard Pilgrim members," said Joyce Grusmark, Manager of Southcoast Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab. "It is an honor to have our program recognized for outstanding quality by an outside organization like Harvard Pilgrim. We greatly appreciate their support and look forward to welcoming new patients to our program through the assistance provided by this grant."

The Southcoast Medical Fitness Program is highly recommended by physicians for people with chronic diseases that are putting their health at risk. The program has been shown to help people with various health issues improve their condition and their quality of life. The program is designed to help patients become stronger and healthier. It provides education on disease management, healthy eating habits and includes instruction in a variety of exercise techniques that can be easily followed both in the gym and at home.

The Southcoast Medical Fitness Program accommodates all levels of exercise, providing customized plans based on individual needs and experience. The program is offered in Fall River at the Durfee Union Mill, 283 Pleasant Street, in New Bedford at St. Luke's Hospital, 101 Page Street, and in Wareham and Tobey Hospital, 43 High Street. Classes are held three times a week at each of the three facilities.

For more information on the Southcoast Medical Fitness Program, call 508-961-5435.