We are so excited to congratulate you on your new position! Whether you are joining your cardiac rehab team as a Registered Dietitian, Exercise Physiologist, Registered Nurse, or other allied healthcare professional, the Pritikin ICR Team is grateful you are here. We value your expertise and the endless support you provide to cardiac patients.
The Pritikin Program
Pritikin ICR is one of only three intensive cardiac rehabilitation (ICR) programs to be approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). To gain approval, our program had to demonstrate the following through peer-reviewed research:
- A reduced the need for coronary bypass surgery.
- Slowed disease progression.
- A lowered risk factors for coronary artery disease.
- Reduced LDL, triglycerides, BMI, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and the need for cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes medications.
The Pritikin program not only met but exceeded its rigorous criteria! Because of that approval, your multidisciplinary team of experts can deliver the program directly to patients.
Nathan Pritikin
Nathan Pritikin, the namesake of the Pritikin program, was diagnosed with heart disease in 1957. Refusing to accept his doctors’ standard recommendations of the time – bedrest and medication – Pritikin began researching cultures around the globe and discovered that those who consumed largely plant-based diets and exercised regularly had essentially no heart disease. Adopting this approach himself, Nathan was able to reverse the progression of his heart disease. Because it worked then – and is still just as effective today! – the Pritikin program has stood the test of time. Published research continues to prove the efficacy of the lifestyle that Nathan Pritikin staked his name upon.
Delivering the Pritikin Program to Cardiac Patients
Cardiac patients who have experienced one of seven qualifying events are eligible to enroll in cardiac rehab. Each time a patient attends cardiac rehab, they participate in both exercise and education facilitated by your team. Centered around Pritikin’s Three Pillars – Regular Exercise, Heart-Healthy Nutrition, and a Healthy Mind-Set – the education consists of professionally produced videos, immersive workshops, cooking classes, and 1:1 consults. This flexible curriculum can be tailored to fit patients’ individual needs and is designed to support a variety of learning styles. To accommodate the rolling admission of patients into the program, all workshops and videos stand-alone, meaning they can be attended in any order based on the patient’s entry into your rotation/schedule.
Bringing Pritikin to Life at Your Facility
Our goal at Pritikin is to equip clinicians like yourself with more time and more tools to help patients embrace lasting lifestyle change. We know through research that the more a patient attends cardiac rehab, the more opportunity they have to improve the quality of their lives and reduce the risk of another cardiac event. The unwavering encouragement and compassion you bring daily to your role truly makes a difference in patients’ lives.
As you continue to onboard for your new position and learn more about the Pritikin ICR program, the training checklist attached in your welcome email will guide you through all the educational resources. Your Pritikin ICR Account Manager is excited to support you in your new role of helping cardiac patients fully recover and thrive!