Patients get heart smart with MULTIFIT program

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- This month is National Heart Month -- an effort to bring awareness to heart health. Millions of Americans live with heart disease, stroke or a heart condition.

Virginia Bailey is passionate about educating others about their heart health. The cardiac rehab nurse is helping those dealing with heart events at Kaiser Permanente's MULTIFIT program.

"I get anywhere from six to 12 new patients a week and it's at any age; my youngest is 28 in the program and my oldest is 91. So it's just not an old people disease; it is now hitting our young people," said Bailey.

The MULTIFIT program goes over risk factors and teaches patients ways they can improve their health through diet and exercise. Patients like Dave Hoffman. The retiree had a burning sensation in his chest that turned into much more.

"They went in and did angiogram and wound up putting in four stints," said Hoffman.

Hoffman says in the past few years, he's battled heart problems and the most recent event left him feeling under the weather.

"To me it was an eye-opener because I had none of the things that I had always heard of that would indicate a heart attack," said Hoffman.

Hoffman hopes other will learn from his story, but he's also taking his own health into his hands by enrolling in the MULTIFIT program. Patients sit through a two-hour class and then monitor their health at home.

"We instruct the patients on what to do at home, and I'm following them frequently over the phone to make sure they are doing what they are doing. I'm their cheerleader. I'm encouraging them," said Bailey.

The monitoring program runs six months. Organizers hope this program will give local residents some of the tools they need to live a healthier and happier life.