A heart health story to inspire your heart | va marion health care | veterans affairs

Army Veteran has already lost 18 pounds, inches off the waistline, and lowered his cholesterol level, thanks to the Home Based Cardiac Rehab Program. Army Veteran, Stephen Meredith has

changed his life with the Home Based Cardiac Rehab Program. “The doctor told me that if I lost another 20 pounds that I could stop taking my cholesterol medicine!” shares Stephen Meredith.

Stephen Meredith served in the Army from 1964 to 1967. He first worked as a clerk, then became a scout in the infantry. He never imagined that he would be sitting in a doctor’s office,

repeatedly being told that he needed to lose weight in order to improve his heart health. Even though he is still in progress of reaching his goal, Stephen wanted to share his journey so

far, in hopes of showing his fellow Veterans that it can be done. “Since I began this program in October of 2022, I have lost about 18 pounds, and a couple inches off my waist” boasts

Stephen. After a visit with his doctor, he was referred to the Home-Based Cardiac Rehab Program. Within a week, he received his first phone call from Dietitian, Tori Stewart. They agreed to

speak weekly over the phone. “I was hesitant at first because I had heard stories from friends who had bad experiences about being told what not to eat. But Tori was different. She didn’t

make me feel bad at all. She is prompt, very respectful and most importantly, she doesn’t make me feel bad when I don’t follow the diet.” VA dietitian, Tori Stewart says “we talk about

reading food labels, the importance of reducing sugars and limiting the quantities of the food that we eat. When we first started, Stephen was drinking about two large sodas per day. Now

he’s down to about 3 small sodas per week.” After a couple of months of working with our dietitian, Tori, Stephen found a local gym with a silver sneakers program that allowed him to work

out for free. He first started going to the gym about twice a week. He now says that he goes approximately 4 times per week, for about 40 minutes each visit. “There are about seven machines

that I use regularly,” shares Stephen. Being retired, Stephen can make more time for walking as well. His newfound health has given him the confidence and strength to find a part time job.

With this part time job, Stephen is averaging about 12,000 steps per day, in addition to his working out and dieting. “I think this program would be good for any Veteran, even if they aren’t

overweight. You will learn what to eat and how to eat healthier.” The VA Office of Rural Health Home-Based Cardiac Rehab (HBCR) program is modeled after traditional outpatient cardiac

rehabilitation but is done in the comfort of the patient’s home. Our HBCR program is unique as it is the only dietitian-led program in the country. During the 12 week program, patients are

provided with nutrition education and counseling, exercise equipment and guidance, motivational interviewing, help with medication compliance, and assistance with smoking cessation through

weekly phone or video calls. *This program was started with initial funding from VA Office or Rural health but is currently being sustained through the Marion VA Healthcare System.