Dr. Thompson described MiCR’s strategic initiatives in two key areas: telehealth and medication management. For telehealth, MiCR is employing a multi-pronged approach that includes surveys, qualitative interviews, and stakeholder outreach to understand the current state, implementation plans, and barriers to telehealth CR implementation in Michigan. This effort will also include an evaluation of the value and utilization of existing resources that support telehealth CR. In the realm of medication management, MiCR is using claims data to assess variability in medication adherence among CR participants and applying surveys, interviews, and outreach to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement. These efforts will lead to actionable plans designed to help stakeholders implement initiatives that elevate CR services across the state.
MiCR/HBOM Heart-to Heart Collaboration Update
Larrea Young, MDes, a human-centered design project manager at HBOM, announced the launch of Heart-to-Heart, a new initiative designed to inspire both patients and providers by collecting and sharing diverse stories of patient experiences with CR. The goal of this effort is to foster broader conversations about the life-changing impact of CR and encourage patient enrollment by providing strong peer endorsements. The HBOM and MiCR teams are gathering first-person accounts in video, audio, and photo formats to create an engaging, free, and reusable story library for CR advocates across Michigan and beyond. Progress so far includes 10 patient interviews at two sites, representing a wide range of demographics and experiences. HBOM previewed a clip from a patient interview at the meeting. Clinicians were also encouraged to contribute to the effort by sharing voice messages about cardiac rehabilitation through Speakpipe.
Leveraging National CR Quality Improvement (QI): Efforts, Updates, and Next Steps
Megan Gross, MPH, CHES, ACSM-CEP, EIM, clinical exercise physiologist at Holland Hospital and board director of the Michigan Society for Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (MSCVPR), shared a summary of national CR QI efforts and discussed how her organization has leveraged these initiatives to advance local QI projects. She identified tools and resources, advocacy, and QI champions as the core “pillars” of quality improvement, all supported by a foundation of data. Gross highlighted nationally available resources such as the Million Hearts/American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR) Cardiac Rehab Change Package and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s (AHRQ) TAKEheart initiative, as well as ongoing advocacy, research, and publications. Encouraging all CR program staff to view themselves as champions, she transitioned to describe how Holland Hospital has applied these tools in their own QI efforts, concluding with a description of their project to implement an inpatient liaison model aimed at increasing CR participation.
Understanding the Physiologic and Clinical Significance of Metabolic Equivalents (METS)
Barry Franklin, PhD, a director emeritus of preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation at Corewell Health East, gave a presentation explaining the physiological and clinical significance of metabolic equivalents (METs). Dr. Franklin summarized key lessons from his 50-year career in clinical exercise physiology, highlighting topics such as energy systems for exercise, acute cardiorespiratory responses (VO2 max), METs, anaerobic (ventilatory) threshold, fitness and mortality, fitness in relation to surgical outcomes and health care costs, and clinical considerations for prescribing exercise intensity. Dr. Franklin’s key take home message related to his guidelines and recommendations for moving patients from achievement of lower to higher METs through CR participation.
Sustaining Cardiac Rehab Through Health System Integration
Brett Reynolds, MPH, ACSM-CEP, and Cindy Haskin-Popp, MS, ACSM-CEP, of Corewell Health East shared their multi-year journey to build a fully integrated CR service line after the Corewell Health merger. They detailed key phases from planning and collaboration, such as forming committees, aligning workflows, and engaging stakeholders, to implementation, which involved developing communication channels, Epic workflow training, and designating super users for consistency. Post-integration successes included cross-training, improved communication, standardized competencies, and better patient care (Figure 2), while ongoing challenges remain in areas like documentation and order set variation. Looking forward, the team aims to pursue AACVPR accreditation, standardize patient education, and create a centralized referral process to further improve care quality and patient experience.