Members of the Kiwanis Club of Rome can breathe a little easier after a visit Monday from Floyd Medical Center’s Jeff Thompson.

Director of FMC’s new cardio and pulmonary rehabilitations services, Thompson spoke at the Kiwanis meeting about the two services and how area residents are benefiting from them.

He said cardio rehabilitation is recommended for those with most heart conditions from angina to a heart transplant, but patients must be referred by a physician. Patients will undergo a tailored program with exercise routines specific to their needs. The program runs about 12 weeks, he said.

“Pulmonary rehabilitation is brand new to this area,” Thompson said. “It’s for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease as well as a few other pulmonary disorders. COPD is a progressive disease. It’s not reversible but we can improve your lifestyle,” he said.

The program combines exercise training with behavior and educational programs and draws on the medical expertise of the team.

Thompson spoke about the goals of the program, saying they aim to improve the daily lives of patients by restoring to them the highest possible level of independence.

“Many of those patients can’t even walk their dog or even walk as far as the mailbox,” he said. “Our goal is to have them doing more than when they came in. We have some of them walking regularly on the treadmill. Even if they still have their oxygen tank with them, they’re doing more than they were able to.

“The future of medicine is preventative,” he said about the program’s long-term effects. “We have to anticipate conditions and stop them from happening instead of just reacting when they do. We hope these services will prevent people from having to come back to the hospital or the emergency room as often.”

Thompson said the rehabilitation services take place in a fitness center behind Floyd Urgent Care on Shorter Avenue.