Good Samaritan Hospital plan to close cardiac rehab program draws fire

"Patients of Good Samaritan Hospital's Cardiac Rehabilitation Program in California are mounting a campaign to keep it going after the facility announced plans to phase out the program beginning December 19 because of budget constraints. 'We're continually looking at all our programs,' said Good Samaritan Chief Executive Bill Piche. 'In this economy, in this day and age, we're looking every day at what programs might be redundant or duplicative. We can't do everything.' Piche would not discuss the cost of the program but said, 'We need to put our resources in other places. Unless there are patients that have not been able to be placed (in other programs), they'll complete their 12-week program,' Piche said. 'There are plenty of alternatives out there.' People who have had heart attacks enter the program's 12-week outpatient phase on their doctor's recommendation. It is also available to people who have had open-heart surgery, angioplasty and other cardiac treatments. The program combines exercise, education, diet counseling and emotional support. 'It's an expensive program,' supervisor Karen Wolf said, 'but it's a program we're very proud of.'" - Santa Cruz Sentinel