Bluefield Regional Medical Center has been awarded Program Certification for its Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). Certification recognizes those programs rigorously reviewed by a national board and found to meet the outlined essential requirements for standards of care.

To qualify for certification, programs must have been in operation for at least two years. Connie Marrs, primary Registered Nurse for the program, said that it is unusual for a program to be certified this quickly. “We are very proud to have been certified in the minimum amount of time possible,” Marrs said. “It took six months of really hard work to get ready for the application inspection,” she said.

“Our program is the only comprehensive program in West Virginia,” Marrs continued. “We have four full-time rehabilitation positions here — a Registered Nurse, a Respiratory Therapist, a Physical Therapist, and an Occupational Therapist — where most programs usually have only a nurse and respiratory therapist. Most programs do not offer physical or occupational therapy,” she said.

In addition to Marrs, the Pulmonary Rehabilitation staff includes Respiratory Therapist Lori Wriston, Physical Therapist Beth LaFave, Occupational Therapist Sue Sample and Secretary Missy Pauley.

Pulmonary rehabilitation programs involve a multidimensional continuum of services by interdisciplinary specialists, directed to persons with pulmonary disease and their families.  The goal of the team is to achieve and maintain the individual’s maximum level of independence and functioning in the community.

The AACVPR is a national, multi-disciplinary association dedicated to the improvement of clinical practice, promotion of scientific Inquiry, and advancement of education for the benefit of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation professionals and the patients they serve.

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