Distinguished Member of the Year awarded each year to an IACPR member that has made significant contributions to IACPR and our patients.
2025 Distinguished Member of the Year- Aleshia Bloker
- 1. This Individual is dedicated to lifelong learning as evidenced by her taking some time off to get her masters.
- 2. We are thankful for the opportunities that directed her path back to Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehab!
- 3. Immediately, we asked her to get involved with IACPR leadership AGAIN.
- 4. She has embraced every role we have asked of her: BOD, Iowa Representative for DOTH, and the Strategic Planning Team.
- 5. We can count on her to go above and beyond and to challenge ideas.
- 6. She will work tirelessly, passionately, and persistently in pursing goals for herself, her program, our profession, our organization, and our patients.
2025 Distinguished Program of the Year
Cardiac Rehab- MercyOne Des Moines
I would like to nominate MercyOne Des Moines's Cardiac Rehabilitation program for the IACPR Distinguished Program of the year. MercyOne Cardiac Rehab prides itself on high-quality individualized patient care, excellent outcomes and high patient satisfaction.
Our program offers a full scope of service, from our inpatient which cares for patients 7 days a week to our outpatient services that is provided 5 days a week in 2 locations with diverse staff & backgrounds. We are a high volume facility that averages about 20 patients daily on inpatient and 40-50 daily on outpatient. We provide individualized exercise prescriptions and education to all patients. Our staff consists of nurses, exercise physiologists, respiratory therapists, a dietician and spring/fall interns from ISU & Simpson.
The main reason I am applying for this award is for the transition we made roughly a year ago to hire our own dietitian who consults with patients one-on-one. Our Rate Your Plate scores and patient satisfaction have increased significantly since the transition and patients are constantly remarking on how this has changed their lives. Our program provides high-level education through collaboration with Cardiology, LVAD educators, SCAD, & Smoking Cessation.
I cannot say enough good things about my staff, they are all very patient-minded and take the time to listen to each and every patient. They truly take pride in what they do and exhibit that on a daily basis.
Eric Larson
Pulmonary Rehab- UI Health Care Medical Center University Campus
Over the past year, our pulmonary rehab program has shown exceptional leadership, growth, and commitment to success. Key achievements include:
AACVPR Recertification: We successfully renewed our AACVPR (American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation) certification, reaffirming our program’s adherence to national best practices. Our program, originally certified in 2003, has consistently recertified every three years for 22 years, maintaining the highest standards.
IACPR Distinguished Program of 2024: Recognized as the IACPR Distinguished Program of 2024, this award highlights the outstanding quality and impact of the services provided by our pulmonary rehab team. While we were grateful for this honor last year, we believe we have continued to make significant progress this year.
Collaboration and Campus Transition: Starting in the spring of 2024, we supported the Downtown Campus by integrating education, policies, procedures, documentation, and billing in an effort to maintain two programs. This transition later led to the relocation of all pulmonary rehab services to the University Campus in the fall. This shift was completed smoothly, ensuring uninterrupted patient care while maintaining staffing and space requirements.
Program Expansion: Our program saw a 35-50% increase in total patient visits across all phases, driven by growth in six-minute walk tests performed for the heart and vascular pulmonary hypertension patient population, as well as those undergoing lung, renal, and liver transplants. We also successfully absorbed the Downtown Campus pulmonary rehab services. Expanding clinic hours further improved patient access, contributing to the program's overall growth. This reflects our strong operational and strategic management.
Patient Satisfaction: With 98% of patients reporting they would recommend our program to family and friends, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to high-quality care and building positive patient relationships.
Collaborations: We continue to strengthen our collaborations with the Pulmonary Clinic, Pulmonary Hypertension Clinic and Lung Transplant Team, ensuring a holistic and comprehensive approach to patient care.
Education & Mentorship: We have played a key role in educating pulmonary fellows and student interns, helping to shape the next generation of healthcare professionals. We recently presented on "Inhaler Technology and Optimal Use" at the Pulmonary Physicians Core Conference, contributing to the ongoing development of clinical knowledge and practice.
As we reflect on the remarkable strides made this year, it is evident that our team's dedication, expertise, and continuous drive for improvement have been fundamental in achieving these milestones. I truly appreciate your consideration for the 2025 IACPR Distinguished Program of the Year. It is essential to highlight the exceptional and cohesive staff of the UIHC Pulmonary Rehab Downtown Campus Program. Their unwavering commitment, knowledge, enthusiasm, and professionalism have led to the positive outcomes of our patients and the continued success of our program.
Julie Wiebold
