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It takes a special team – and a supportive community – to achieve strong cardiac rehab graduation rates. Since I have been the Account Manager for CentraCare Long Prairie and CentraCare Sauk Centre, I have been impressed by the dedication and results generated by the teams providing care for patients at both locations.
These two sites located in central Minnesota, have been teaching the Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehab (ICR) curriculum since 2020. During a recent site visit, I connected with Exercise Physiologist, Marc Arndt, who oversees both programs. We spoke about what he most enjoys about his work, his team, facility, and his experience with the Pritikin curriculum.
Marc was drawn to a career in cardiac rehabilitation after completing an internship; 24 years later, he still finds his choice rewarding.
The Program
From my perspective, one of the things that sets Marc and his team’s ICR program apart is the way they introduce their program. It is evident they believe in the education they are imparting. From their very first interaction, patients receive the same clear, consistent messaging about the ICR program and curriculum. Overall, expectations are unambiguous, and all leave with the understanding that they are working with an experienced team looking out for their heart-health. This straightforward no-nonsense approach stems from experience – Marc and his team know what it takes for a patient to reduce their risk of a future cardiac event.
Patients recognize that to complete the program, they must commit to 36 visits, each covering exercise and education for 72 sessions. Of course, modifications are made to accommodate individual patients as needed. Both sites’ strong graduation rates are related to the team’s commitment to emphasizing the need to complete all sessions from the very beginning.
Having administered both traditional cardiac rehab and intensive cardiac rehab, Marc notes that the key difference in the Pritikin curriculum is the emphasis placed on nutrition and dietary changes. Patients often identify Cooking School Workshops as a highlight of their program. Sometimes, it is these workshops that tip the scale for patients who are on the fence about attending!
Scheduling 
As CentraCare Long Prairie and CentraCare Sauk Centre locations share key staff, they have adjusted their programming schedules to accommodate. Long Prairie administers their Pritikin sessions Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Conversely, Sauk Centre holds sessions on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The flexibility of Pritikin scheduling increases patient access to cardiac rehab.
Layout
Both rehabilitation locations have similar layouts. They each have a small exercise room with treadmills, arm ergometer, seated stepper, and free weights. The space allows for an easy flow of conversation throughout the session. An education room is adjacent to the exercise space while the cooking sessions are set up in nearby conference rooms down the hall from the exercise area.
The Patient Experience
When I asked Marc what he attributes his strong program completion rates to, he shared that his patients are strongly motivated by individual connections. For his part, Marc does his best to get to know his patients personally; he finds it is helpful to work together with them to find ways to keep them focused on their health goals. Given the difficult Minnesota climate (very cold winters and hot, humid summers) he finds it helpful to brainstorm with each patient to identify ways they might remain active throughout the year.
Working to find ways to motivate patients is a big part of the approach at Long Prairie and Sauk Centre but you might be wondering, how do Marc and his team stay motivated to provide such strong patient care? They are inspired by the positive changes they see in their patients as they work through the program! Marc shared a story about a recent patient who was initially skeptical about adopting the Pritikin lifestyle. Beyond that, the individual was not sure he could make it through all 72 sessions. Not only did this patient complete the full curriculum, as they worked through each session, his commitment to heart-healthy lifestyle modifications solidified. The patient put in the work and after making significant dietary changes, lost 48 lbs. by the end of the rehabilitation experience. Inspired by the changes he experienced; the patient has now incorporated some of the heart-healthy adaptations he learned during ICR into this business practice. There is nothing quite like seeing the ripple effect in action!
Keep up the superb work CentraCare Long Prairie and CentraCare Sauk Centre!
