Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Take charge of your lung health. Explore Burke Rehabilitation’s pulmonary program, which offers exercise and education to help you live a healthier life after a diagnosis of lung disease or surgery. 

Accredited Care at Burke

You can trust our qualified staff for care that’s tailored to your needs, keeps you safe and improves your health in measurable ways. Burke is accredited by The Joint Commission and The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

For additional information about the program, please refer to the program description [PDF].

• Who Needs Lung Rehabilitation?

  Burke can help people ages 16 through the lifespan, and younger on a case-by-case basis, who experience: 

  • Asthma
  • Bronchiectasis
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • COVID-19 complications, such as shortness of breath
  • Emphysema
  • Lung surgery
  • Lung transplant
  • Pulmonary fibrosis
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Pneumonia

• Benefits of Lung Rehabilitation

  After completing rehabilitation, you may:

  • Have more energy and less fatigue
  • Do your daily activities more easily
  • Feel that you breathe easier
  • Feel less anxiety about breathlessness
  • Reduce your risk of future lung problems

• Inpatient Support Services

  From the moment you’re admitted to the hospital, we’ll make sure you have access to all the health services you need, such as:

  • Lab tests
  • Respiratory department
  • Nutrition services
  • Pharmacy services
  • Radiology
  • Spiritual care
  • Wound care
  • Family and caregiver support

• Pulmonary Team

  Your Burke Rehabilitation Hospital care team puts you at the center of goal setting and treatment. The pulmonary care team members work closely together to address all of your needs. The pulmonary care team meets weekly to discuss how you’re doing and adjust your personalized care plan so you make steady progress. Team members may include: 

  • Doctor specializing in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation
  • Other specialty doctors as needed
  • Nurse practitioner
  • Neuropsychologist
  • Nurses
  • Occupational therapist
  • Physical therapist
  • Recreational therapist
  • Respiratory therapist
  • Social worker
  • Speech-language pathologist

Because you’ll see many types of professionals, you’ll get well-rounded care that addresses all your needs.

Outpatient Pulmonary Rehab

Outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation provides hour-long small group sessions that include:

• Warm-up
• Endurance activity using exercise equipment, such as recumbent bikes
• Cool down
• Education from therapists, nurses, doctors, dietitians and other professionals to improve quality of life

You’ll learn exercises to do between sessions to maintain your progress. Let us know if you’d like to invite a loved one to learn how to help you do them at home. Family members play an important role in recovery. 

How to Enroll in Outpatient Rehab

Ask your doctor to fax the results of a recent pulmonary function test or spirometry and a prescription for pulmonary therapy to (914) 597-2763. After receiving them, we’ll schedule an evaluation with a trained physical therapist and the pulmonary program's medical director. Finally, we’ll call you to enroll in one of our classes that meet twice a week.