Lisa Heidrick has her blood pressure checked as she exercises during a visit to the cardio rehab room at Benson Hospital-TMC Health in Benson. Heidrick is recovering from quadruple bypass surgery last summer and is hoping to receive a new kidney from her sister in upcoming months.

 Mamta Popat photos, Arizona Daily Star

Lisa Heidrick’s next surgery is critical, and she’s working on heart health as the time gets nearer.

Heidrick does cardio rehabilitation near where she lives, in Benson, with an exercise physiologist who tunes in over a large screen from Tucson.

It’s one of Tucson Medical Center’s latest ventures with telemedicine, a futuristic concept that became increasingly commonplace during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Telemedicine is a way providers can deliver care remotely, through a computer or telephone, and without an in-person office visit. It can greatly improve access to care, and improve quality of life, for people living in rural or remote areas.

For Heidrick, who had quadruple bypass surgery last summer and will undergo a kidney transplant in the near future, it’s been a tremendous blessing.

“I was on a mad search to find cardiac rehab,” she said of last summer. “I searched in Sierra Vista, I searched in Tucson. They didn’t have anything at all in Benson.”

‘Very motivating’

Participating in cardio rehabilitation lowers the risk of being readmitted to a hospital by more than 30%, said Mary Mellady, TMC’s director of wellness and cardiac rehabilitation.

Recent studies show that only 20% of Americans who qualify for the help actually do it, and only 1 in 4 Medicare patients participate after a cardiac event, such as heart surgery or a heart attack.

The more serious heart problems are what qualify, including bypass surgery, heart-valve surgery, congestive heart failure and heart transplant.

Lisa Heidrick talks with Mike Urquhart, a cardiac physiologist at Tucson Medical Center, during a telehealth visit to the cardio rehab room at Benson Hospital-TMC Health in Benson. Urquhart, who is in Tucson, monitors patients’ heart rates as they exercise.

When Heidrick found out over the summer that TMC was about to start offering the service in Benson, she got on the list right away. She started her program in September, and so far has completed about half of the 36 sessions she’s approved to do.

“They’re very motivating, too. They sort of help you get through your workout,’ she said. “I’m in better shape now than I was before my quadruple bypass surgery.”

Before the pandemic, insurance wouldn’t have covered it but today more medical technology is being used to reach more people, Mellady said.

There are currently 10 patients enrolled in Benson, and 13 have been part of the program since it started in September.

‘Systems all work together’

During a session last Thursday, Heidrick shared some of her concerns about her heart strength, and what will happen after her next surgery. She was in the new exercise room at the Benson Hospital, speaking to her coach through a big screen.

Mike Urquhart, an exercise physiologist, listened from his office at TMC and reassured her that she’s doing enough, that as long as she stays active, she’ll keep progressing.

“If anything, (the surgery) is going to improve your heart,” he said. “All of these systems all work together. When you improve in one, you get improvement in the others as well.”

Tony Albright, left, and Lisa Heidrick, watch an old western movie as they exercise during a visit to the cardio rehab room at Benson Hospital-TMC Health in Benson. The telehealth rehab saves patients from having to drive to Tucson twice a week for care.

One of the biggest benefits of this fitness-oriented rehabilitation is getting patients in the mindset of cardiovascular health, including exercising regularly and eating right, said Alex Evans, assistant manager for TMC cardiac rehabilitation services.

“It sets them up, long term, for success,” he said.

People do not need to have had surgery or a cardiac event, such as as heart attack, to get cardio rehabilitation, Evans said. Those with congestive heart failure can come in, he said, as an example.

“They just need to get a referral,” he said.

‘Close to where we live’

The support patients need after heart surgery or a heart health problem extends beyond the basics, said Dr. Lou Lancero, a longtime Tucson cardiologist and medical director of Benson Hospital.

Emotional support and individualized education about diet and “changing adverse lifestyle choices” are paired with exercise.

At this stage, he said they are assessing if they are meeting those same goals through telehealth as they would in a more traditional clinical setting.

“We are coming up with metrics that validate we are meeting the same goals as traditional rehabilitation in a remote setting,” he said.

The residents in Benson are typically older, and cardiovascular problems and obesity are two of the biggest challenges for residents, according to a recent TMC health needs assessment.

Benson Hospital, at 450 S. Ocotillo Ave., serves that city as well as several surrounding communities, including about 20,000 to 25,000 people when factoring in population increases during the winter months.

Overall, this makes cardio rehabilitation a great fit for the community, said Julia Strange, TMC Health’s vice president of external affairs and Benson Hospital’s chief executive officer.

Once they establish the Benson program more, Strange said, they hope to offer the same service in other southern Arizona rural communities, such as Willcox and Bisbee. Setting up the Benson site was possible through a donation of $50,000 from the TMC Foundation and $25,000 from Arizona Complete Health.

“Health care should be available close to where we live,” Strange said.

Telehealth has become more common since the COVID-19 pandemic, and TMC's new program is an example of this promising change. Video by Patty Machelor/Arizona Daily Star

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Contact reporter Patty Machelor at 520-235-0308 or pmachelor@tucson.com.