SFVA Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
The cardiac rehabilitation program (Healthy Heart Program) at the San Francisco VA Health Care System is a multidisciplinary team of clinicians focused on improving cardiovascular health, knowledge, and well-being after hospitalization for a heart attack, coronary stent, coronary artery bypass surgery, valve replacement, chronic angina, or heart failure.
The Healthy Heart Program consults with nearly 300 patients each year and works with them to determine whether referral to a non-VA community-based program or our own SFVA telemedicine-based program will best help them achieve their own personal goals to improve their cardiac health.
300
patients annually
The SFVA home-based cardiac rehab program supports patients over a 12-week period during which they are provided with exercise guidance and cardiac health education over telephone or video conferencing once weekly. The core components of the program include:
1. Exercise guidance to maintain recommended physical activity and improve fitness
2. Nutritional counseling for a healthy diet
3. Education on blood pressure, diabetes, and medications
4. Tips for stress reduction
5. Smoking cessation counseling
The SFVA Healthy Heart Program has been at the forefront of cardiac rehabilitation research and continues to study ways to bring the best possible rehabilitation care to our veterans.
Meet Our Team
Neal Yuan, MD: Cardiologist, Director
Richard Buehn, MSc: Exercise Physiologist
Peter Mak, RD: Dietitian
Mary Whooley, MD: Founder, Former Director
Contact Us
We are open to hosting occasional students working towards or with a bachelor's or master's degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences, Kinesiology, or Exercise Physiology who are seeking service hours for certification.