Following heart surgery or a heart procedure, patients undergo a comprehensive program of exercise, risk factor modification and heart health education in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. Individual rehabilitation plans are designed to help patients get back on their feet. The program combines state-of-the-art exercise equipment with individualized patient education and exercise guidelines provided by certified staff. Our professional team includes registered nurses, exercise physiologists, registered dietary staff and behavioral health experts.
Cardiac Rehabilitation is composed of three phases: inpatient, outpatient and maintenance. The program begins while the patient is still in the hospital. Nursing staff and exercise physiologists work with patients to aid in range of motion, movement and walking. Upon discharge, patients begin the outpatient phase in which our specially trained staff develops an individualized rehabilitation plan designed to improve cardiovascular health and musculoskeletal strength. The length of the outpatient phase is determined by both exercise and educational goal attainment.
In addition to exercise, Cardiac Rehabilitation provides heart health education. Our health care professionals provide vital information about heart disease, risk factor management, proper nutrition and weight management, understanding exercise, heart disease treatments and stress management.
Patients seeking cardiac rehabilitation services must first get a prescription from a cardiologist or from their primary care physician. Prior to starting a cardiac rehabilitation program, patients should verify insurance coverage.
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Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation
Our Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation (ICR) Program takes a holistic approach to patient recovery after a cardiac event. We have collaborated with Pritikin to offer ICR in our health network and have earned certification as an ICR Program. We are proud to be the first certified Pritikin ICR Program in Wisconsin.
ICR builds on traditional cardiac rehabilitation by offering more education and nutritional workshops, in addition to heart healthy exercise. Our ICR Program follows three key pillars: Getting regular exercise, creating a healthy eating plan and having a healthy mindset.
By developing these skills through ICR, patients learn how to foster an overall healthy lifestyle that leads to a healthy heart and improved quality of life.
More Resources for Long-Term Heart Health
One advantage of intensive cardiac rehabilitation is that patients have the option to attend up to 72 sessions, compared to 36 sessions in traditional cardiac rehabilitation. This increased opportunity for education provides more resources and opportunities to carry out a healthy lifestyle going forward. In addition, ICR places an emphasis on healthy eating for the heart, helping patients change eating habits, while learning through educational cooking demonstrations.
Average Outcomes for Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients
The ICR program is available through a collaboration with Pritikin, the results of which have been documented in more than 100 peer-reviewed studies, leading to its approval by Medicare. These results include:
- 9% decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure
- 19% decrease in fasting glucose among diabetic patients
- 20% decrease in cholesterol
- 23% decrease in LDL cholesterol and 33% decrease in triglyceride levels
- Approximate 40% decrease in chronic inflammation
- An average weight loss of seven to 11 pounds among overweight patients
Getting started
Similar to traditional cardiac rehabilitation, a physician referral following a qualifying diagnosis is needed to start with cardiac rehab. All Pritikin certified programs are covered by Medicare. Qualifying diagnosis for intensive cardiac rehabilitation, include:
- Angioplasty
- Coronary artery bypass
- Cardiac stent placement
- Cardiac transplant
- Chronic heart failure
- Heart attack (within the last 12 months)
- Heart valve surgery
- Stable angina
Our Facilities
Our cardiac rehabilitation facilities include several types of exercise equipment for all body types and abilities. You can also learn about healthy eating and healthy ways to cook in our kitchen demonstration areas.
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Our Cardiovascular Program continues to receive recognition as one of the top programs nationally. We are honored to provide high-quality, effective care for even the most high-risk patients.
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Check Out Our Heart and Vascular Program Awards and Recognition
The Froedtert & MCW health network has built a reputation for clinical excellence and our research draws patients from around the world. Our Heart & Vascular program recognitions include:
- Premier recognized Froedtert Hospital in 2025 as one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals® according to its independent quality analysis based on a balanced scorecard. The hospitals recognized in the top 50 operated at lower cost and had better outcomes, recording significantly higher inpatient survival rates, fewer patients with complications, lower readmission rates and up to nearly $7,000 less in total costs per patient case. Froedtert Hospital was ranked in the category of top teaching hospitals with a cardiovascular residency program. No other hospital in Wisconsin was recognized with this national distinction.
- The International Cardio-Oncology Society (ICOS) recognizes our Cardio-Oncology Program as a gold level Cardio-Oncology Center of Excellence in 2025. ICOS certification is awarded to institutions and practices that demonstrate superior expertise in the care of patients who have heart disease, are at high risk or experience heart complications with cancer treatment. The ICOS awards bronze, silver and gold certification. Of the two ICOS-certified programs in Wisconsin, we are the only one that meets the stringent requirements needed to be recognized as a gold level Cardio-Oncology Center of Excellence.
- Healthgrades recognized Froedtert Hospital in its 2024 Specialty Excellence Awards, including one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery, one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care and one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention, as well as other specialty achievements in various areas.
- Becker’s Hospital Review recognized Froedtert Hospital within its 2024 list of 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Heart Programs. Hospitals featured on this list are renowned for delivering superior heart and vascular care that results in high-quality outcomes. As part of a health network that includes eastern Wisconsin’s only academic medical center, our heart and vascular specialists treat a high volume of patients with a wide variety of heart diseases.
- The Society for Vascular Surgery's Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI) recognized Froedert Hospital as a Carotid Care Quality Champion by the SVS VQI‘s clinical registry recognition program in 2024. The VQI recognizes select centers across the country as Carotid Care Quality Champions for their dedication to improving the safety and effectiveness of vascular care through participation and engagement in VQI’s carotid artery stenting and/or carotid endarterectomy registries.
- The American Heart Association recognized Froedtert Hospital with the following awards that show our commitment to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks.
- Get With the Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus Award
- Get With the Guidelines® — Coronary Artery Disease STEMI Receiving Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes
- Get With the Guidelines® — Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes
- Get With the Guidelines® AFib Gold Award
- In addition, the hospital was recognized on the AHA’s Target: Heart Failure(SM) Honor Roll and received the AHA’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™ award.
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