Working together, Saint Joseph Hospital and National Jewish Health offer one of the regions’ only Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation program for patients with heart disease. Based on Ornish Lifestyle Medicine™, the comprehensive program and approach are scientifically proven to reverse heart disease, having demonstrated significant improvement in patients for more than 35 years.

Intensive cardiac rehabilitation can halt coronary disease progression, as well as help control blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol while improving mood and improving exercise capacity. With our team of experts helping you achieve your goals, better health is only a few weeks away.

2022 Patient Outcomes and Program Highlights:

  • 99% of patients stopped or reversed their heart disease after five years.
  • More than 40% of participants reduced or discontinued medications to lower blood pressure, lipids, and blood sugar.
  • Participants saw statistically significant changes in all clinical outcomes, including decreased diabetic risk factors and improved mental health.For example, depression scores decreased 50% - greater improvement than medication or talk therapy outcomes.

Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation is a 9-week program made up of 4-hour weekly sessions, a total of 72 hours over just 2 months. The sessions are conducted in small groups and facilitated by a team of certified and trained staff who reinforce four dimensions of lifestyle change; exercise, nutrition, stress management and group support.

Learn more about what to expect from Intensive Cardiac Rehab program.

Services and Team of Experts

  • A lifestyle medicine physician oversees the program
  • Supervised activity and exercise by certified exercise physiologists
  • Nutrition counseling from a registered dietitian
  • Stress management training overseen by a certified yoga and mindfulness instruction

Emotional support groups led by a psychologist or social worker

Program Candidates and Indications

The Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation accepts patients with physician referral with indications that include:

  • Recent coronary artery bypass surgery
  • Current, stable chest pain (angina)
  • Heart attack within last 12 months
  • Heart valve repair or replacement
  • Angioplasty or stent placement
  • Heart or heart-lung transplant
  • Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction of 35% or less

Find a Location

Program Overview & Patient Testimonial Video

Meet our team of experts

Request an appointment or referral

Find a location

To learn more or contact us directly,

Intensive Cardiac Rehab at Saint Joseph Hospital:
Phone: 303-318-1303
Fax: 303-318-1336