Cardiac Rehabilitation Fellowship

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States and will continue its steady increase as predisposing factors become more prevalent in the American population. Definitive treatment of cardiovascular disease is through lifestyle modification in concert with medical management.  Although cardiac rehabilitation is the most effective gateway to comprehensive secondary prevention this remains an underutilized resource in the fight against heart disease worldwide.

In addition to the impact heart disease has on morbidity and mortality, all forms of cardiovascular disease have global impact on individuals - affecting every area of function including medical compliance, physical endurance, psychosocial functioning, return to work, familial relationships, and sexual functioning.

Additionally, the greatest barrier to the maintenance of exercise in older populations is musculoskeletal complication that arises from self-initiated exercise programs.  Screening for musculoskeletal compromise is an essential part of cardiac rehabilitation to achieve optimal conditioning and the adoption of a life-long exercise regimen.  The ability to diagnose and direct multi-disciplinary treatment for global cardiac disability will become an increasingly important skill as the social and economic burden of cardiac disability increases in our society.

Why Cardiac Rehabilitation Fellows Choose Montefiore

Training for our one-year, unaccredited Cardiac Rehabilitation Fellowship Program will include primary management of the in-patient Cardiac Rehabilitation consult service. This service follows patient care from immediately following cardiac event through hospital discharge and referral to outpatient cardiac rehabilitation. The oversight of a system to ensure continuity of care will be a primary responsibility of the fellow in the first half of the academic year. The second half of the academic year responsibilities will extend to the out-patient setting to round out the experience.

The Cardiac Rehabilitation fellow will be instructed in a stepwise approach in barrier reduction to facilitate recovery and prevention of secondary events. This will include multidisciplinary training in the areas of early post-operative ambulation, musculoskeletal optimization, exercise physiology, psychosocial screening/behavioral counseling techniques, cardio-vascular outcomes in assessment, implementation and analysis of cardiac disability and its many causes.

Optional secondary areas of training will include exploration of racial, gender and ethnic disparities within cardiac rehabilitation, rehabilitative management of end-stage congestive heart failure and the psycho-social effect of coronary artery disease on patients and their families.

Apply for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Fellowship Program at Montefiore

Licensed MDs or DOs who have completed three years in physical medicine and rehabilitation training or at least one year of cardiology subspecialty training. Other acceptable backgrounds will include internal medicine and practicing internal medicine physicians who have a strong interest in secondary prevention and application of exercise as a primary modality in this setting. 

For more information or to apply, please contact David Prince, MD at dprince@montefiore.org.