Thank You for Giving Us Our Life Back: Cardiac Rehab Therapists Recognized by Patients

Patients send message of gratitude through poster

The Trinity Health Heart Center – Muskegon houses many programs geared toward comprehensive wellness, including cardiac rehabilitation. Cardiac Rehab Therapists, Angie Barclay, Stacey McManus, and Josh Green, oversee Phase 2 Cardiac Rehab Therapy for patients who have experienced a heart attack or other cardiac events.

A few weeks ago, Angie, Stacey, and Josh were surprised by a special poster from two of their patients, a married couple who graduated the program, reading, “Thank you for giving us our life back!” When other patients saw the poster, they felt the same way and added their signatures, each affirming the impact of the therapists’ care.

Every day, these three therapists oversee 80 patients while they exercise, monitoring heart performance and educating them on healthy practices vital to their recovery, well-being, physical health, and mental health.

“I feel grateful for the love and gratitude from our patients and the relationships we’ve cultivated with them,” said Stacey. “All three of us feel so fortunate to be part of our participants’ recovery journey. They give us a lot of credit, but it’s all due to them. They put in the work, and they went through the experience.”

Angie, Stacey, and Josh bring a relationship-focused approach to care.  

“Forming a relationship and emotional connection is incredibly important in getting patients to invest in their health. We’re with these participants multiple times a week, getting to know them, connecting them, and creating an environment where they feel empowered to make healthy changes,” said Josh.

This recognition poster isn’t the first time Angie, Stacey, and Josh have been celebrated. They frequently have program graduates come back to visit, receive countless cards and notes of gratitude, and were even gifted name plaques from a patient who was a wood carver. 

“It’s an honor to make our patients feel cared for,” said Angie Barclay. “They can’t trust our advice unless they know us, so we value that connection and know it’s imperative to our participants' success and investment in their health.”

Angie has been a cardiac rehab therapist in Muskegon for 21 years and trained Stacey and Josh as interns before they joined the team. Now, the three have a seamless system and camaraderie that contributes to the program’s atmosphere, but most importantly, the patients and their success.

“The goal of this program is to live your life, and that’s exactly what we aim to help every individual do,” said Angie. “It’s rewarding to see someone change their entire life even when they think they aren’t able to. What our participants accomplish is nothing short of inspiring.”

Angie, Stacey, and Josh are pillars of our Core Values and Mission. Thank you for transforming the lives of your patients! 

Our heart and vascular experts are prepared to support you and your well-being. If you have heart disease risk factors or need cardiac and lifestyle support, learn more about cardiac rehabilitation at Trinity Health.