Health & Fitness
St. Charles Hospital Develops Coronavirus Rehabilitation Program
The Port Jefferson hospital's program includes physical therapy for endurance training, strength training and education.
PORT JEFFERSON, NY — St. Charles Hospital, a Port Jefferson-based care facility in the Catholic Health Services network, introduced its Post-COVID Outpatient Rehabilitation Program in a news release on Tuesday.
Many who have recovered from COVID-19 continue to experience long-lasting effects of the coronavirus that range from breathing difficulties to the loss of strength and mobility, according to Catholic Health Services. The program, meant to help local residents recover, includes medically-supervised physical therapy for endurance training, strength training and education for patients who are at least 14 days past a COVID-19 diagnosis.
"Patients who have recovered from COVID-19 may find they are unable to tolerate any type of
activity," St. Charles Vice President of Rehabilitation Laura Beck said. "They experience
shortness of breath and weakness. These symptoms are seen in many people who have recovered
from the virus whether or not they were on a ventilator."
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The St. Charles medical team recognized a need to develop a program specific for patients who are dealing with the after-effects of COVID-19 and applied their experience in working with patients who have respiratory illnesses such as emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
"The methods of how we treat patients with breathing difficulties have served as a framework for
our COVID-19 rehabilitation program," Director of St. Charles’s Rehabilitation Services Pattianne Ruppel said. "We work with patients to develop an individualized program that fits their specific needs."
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Group sessions in the COVID-19 rehabilitation program are held twice weekly over a period of four weeks. Oxygen, blood pressure and heart rate levels will be monitored before, during and after exercising. Individual sessions are available with frequency and duration of the sessions to be determined based on an initial evaluation.
For those seeking additional information or an appointment, call 631-474-6111.
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