Ron Swopes speaks on his personal CCMH cardiac rehab success

Brooke McPeak, RN, BSN visited recently with longtime Cedar County resident Ron Swopes about his years long commitment to the CCMH Cardiac Rehab Program to get his thoughts on how the program has been of benefit to him. He was more than happy to speak on his personal success.

Brooke: “Ron, what is your connection to this community?”

Ron: “I have lived in Cedar County my entire life. In fact, my family are longtime residents of Cedar County, and I am a 7th generation Cedar County resident.”

Ron owns and operates Circle S Feed LLC that he opened in 1987. He is well known in the community for his business AND his music. He plays the upright bass in a local band, and is seen performing at many community functions.

Brooke: How has the CCMH Cardiac Rehab Program impacted your cardiac recovery and overall well-being?

Ron: “I started coming to CCMH Cardiac Rehab in January of 2021 about 6 weeks after my quadruple bypass surgery. My cardiologist strongly recommended me attending to help aid in my recovery. When I received your call about doing the program, I felt encouraged and at ease knowing it was something that I needed to do. One of the main impacts has been the improvement of my strength and endurance. I am able to do a lot more at home in my day to day activities than before. Another benefit is having records of my blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar available for when I follow up with my doctor. The doctors often use the records kept at rehab to make adjustments to medications for better blood pressure and blood sugar control.  I also enjoy the social aspect of Cardiac Rehab very much and the encouraging atmosphere. Having people there with similar interests in improving their health is also helpful.”           

Phase II Rehabilitation begins soon after hospital discharge and continues for 12 weeks, according to individual progress and physician recommendation. It is often reimbursed by Medicare and many third party payers. Ron completed the Phase II monitored program, and has continued on to the Maintenance Program. The Maintenance Program allows for continuation of the lifestyle changes made for health promotion and risk factor reduction indefinitely. In fact, at CCMH Cardiac Rehab, we have had one patient who has been coming for 24 years. Anyone in the community is eligible for the Maintenance Program at the discretion of their doctor. The cost for the Maintenance Program is $40/month for an individual or $50/month for a couple.

Cardiac Rehabilitation is an outpatient supervised exercise program that operates on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Your doctor might recommend cardiac rehab after having a cardiac event or heart surgery. The goal of rehab is to aid in recovery and lower the risk of future problems. Risk factor reduction, such as lowered blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, along with weight loss or better-maintained weight are additional benefits.

You are welcome to contact Brooke, Jacquie, and Paula at CCMH Cardiac Rehabilitation located at the Cedar County Medical Mall in El Dorado Springs or by calling 417.876.2123. The staff will carefully monitor your individual progress during a 30-90 minute exercise session and progress will be reported regularly to the referring physician.