In East Setauket, a cardiac practice now offers a Pritkin rehabilitation program

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In East Setauket,  a cardiac practice is now offering a Pritkin rehabilitation program.

North Suffolk Cardiology, a practice in the Stony Brook Community Medical Group, has begun offering the Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation (ICR) Program.

Licensed to hospitals and outpatient facilities, the Medicare-approved program approved by Medicare and is based on peer-reviewed and published research aimed at reducing heart disease. The program is based on the legacy of Nathan Pritkin, an engineer and researcher who became a household name with books and ways of eating aimed at preventing heart disease and promoting healthy lifestyles.

“Unlike traditional cardiac rehab programs which are primarily exercise-focused, North Suffolk Cardiology’s ICR program offers patients comprehensive lifestyle education at every visit, plus one-on-one access to a multidisciplinary cardiac care team in a state-of-the-art location,” Dr. Neal Patel, ICR program medical director at North Suffolk Cardiology, said in a written statement.

“Through dynamic interaction with a cardiac nurse, exercise physiologist, nutritionist and licensed clinical social worker, an individualized cardiac wellness plan is created, and patients are taught specific lifestyle methods to enact meaningful change,” Patel added.

The ICR program was first approved Medicare in 2010. It is designed to be individualized by its licensees.

In East Setauket, for example, the program complements the existing services offered by North Suffolk Cardiology, in its mission to provide full-service exceptional cardiac care to improve a patient’s quality of life. The practice now offers an expanded array of services tailored to a patient’s unique care plan following a cardiac condition or procedure.

“This groundbreaking program will serve as a tremendous resource to our patients, families and community — both through its ability to help people live heart-healthy lives and because of the expertise, advanced approaches and compassion of North Suffolk Cardiology’s physicians and staff,” Dr. William Wertheim, interim executive vice president for Stony Brook Medicine and president of Stony Brook Medicine Community Medical Group, said in a written statement.

“I am so proud that this program is part of Stony Brook Medicine,” Wertheim added.