Sharon Regional Health System - Dedicated to caring for our community

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Neven Kosic, M.D.

Neven Kosic, M.D.
Medical Director

Pulmonary Rehabilitation
724-983-1980

or e-mail
[email protected]

Sharon Regional Health System’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program provides assistance for individuals with lung disease who often feel they are “short of breath.”

The program seeks to slow down and minimize the progression of the symptoms of lung disease by combining exercise with education, improved breathing techniques, nutritional counseling, and psychosocial support. Individualized programs are designed for patients of all ages who suffer from lung disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema or fibrosis, as well as for lung transplant and lung reduction candidates.

The goals of the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program are to:
• Reduce a patient’s shortness of breath and the anxiety it
brings
• Increase exercise tolerance and the ability to perform
normal daily activities
• Increase a patient’s understanding of their particular
lung disorder
• Teach patients to master proper use of respiratory
medications
• Teach patients to master proper breathing techniques
• Reduce the possibility of hospitalizations
• Motivate patients to start and maintain a home exercise
program
• Promote self-reliance and independence

How the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program works:

After a referral is received from a physician, patients receive an extensive interview and if necessary, a variety of tests are conducted by a respiratory therapist.

This testing may include a complete pulmonary function study, a six minute walk with oximetry, an EKG, basic blood work, and a simple physical assessment. Test results are reviewed by Neven Kosic, M.D., medical director of the program, who along with a respiratory therapist then designs a customized exercise program to meet the patient’s individual needs.

Sessions are scheduled twice a week and generally run for 8-12 weeks. During these sessions, exercise programs are combined with group lectures on a variety of topics consistent with the patient’s program. Upon completion of the program, a home based exercise program is set up so patients can continue to maintain progress and healthy living habits.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 724-983-1980 or e-mail [email protected].

Living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)