For patients who have suffered a heart attack, cardiac rehabilitation can reduce the risk of recurrence. Programs, however, are not widely available in northern Ontario.
While North Bay residents have higher-than-average rates of cardiovascular disease, there has been no comprehensive cardiac rehab program available in the city to date.
UHN is helping address that by teaming up with regional partners to launch North Bay's first fully-funded cardiac rehab clinic — a service that supports a patient's recovery after a heart attack or surgery.
The clinic will serve patients across the Nipissing District who do not have access to publicly funded programs.
"People living with heart disease are traveling to Sudbury and Toronto for surgery or acute interventions, then return home without the resources they need for recovery," says Dr. Paul Oh, Medical Director of the
Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation program at UHN and an international leader in this area.
"Our goal is that more people benefit from this kind of life‑saving service, wherever they are."
Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada and the leading cause of death globally.
For people who have a heart-related condition, participating in cardiac rehab, which combines exercise, counselling and education, can reduce the risk of death from a subsequent heart attack or stroke by up to 50 per cent.
However, uneven access to cardiac rehab is a challenge worldwide. Research shows an estimated 30 per cent of patients can't participate in cardiac rehab because local programs aren't available.
By partnering with North Bay to build a sustainable, community‑owned model, UHN is demonstrating an educational approach that could help other regions — in Canada and internationally — expand access to this life‑saving care.
Sharing cardiac rehab expertise across Ontario
Colleagues from North Bay Cardiology first visited
Toronto Rehab's Rumsey Centre in February 2025 to train with UHN's cardiac rehab program. UHN staff shared a globally recognized curriculum, research expertise and educational resources, building capacity within the North Bay clinic.
The teams then worked together to tailor UHN's model to the needs of the northern community, enabling North Bay Cardiology to launch its own cardiac rehab program.
The clinic was piloted in June 2025 with 24 patients. They successfully welcomed 30 more during their second cohort in November.
UHN helped secure funding from several industry partners to support this effort. Additional resources were provided by the Nipissing Wellness Ontario Health team, Canadore College, Nipissing University, YMCA of Northeastern Ontario and Canadian Shield Health Care Services.
Dr. Jari Tuomi, head of North Bay Cardiology, applauded the partnership.
"As North Bay's first cardiologist, I have been pleased to help bring excellent care closer to home" says Dr. Tuomi. "Joining forces with UHN-Toronto Rehab will bring much needed cardiac rehab services to North Bay—reducing barriers to care, lowering healthcare costs and ultimately improving patient health outcomes."
Patients report positive outcomes from cardiac rehab program
So far, North Bay patients say the program was life-changing.
"This program has undoubtedly motivated my willingness to participate," says Dave Dickerson, who was diagnosed with a narrowed aortic valve.
Prior to the program, Dave had been told many times to get active by doctors and friends, but it wasn't until he was enrolled in the structured cardiac rehab program that he found himself improving and maintaining healthy habits.
"I can absolutely say that I have already witnessed a sustainable difference in my health."
Jackie Markman says the program became a source of support she didn't realize she needed.
"As a retired nurse, you sometimes feel like you've seen it all," she says. "I didn't think I needed to be in the program ... but it really opened my eyes to the reality of having a heart attack."
Jackie says the program is giving heart attack patients the medical guidance they need while creating a strong sense of community.
"I've talked to so many people in the program, and we've shared our stories," she says. "Some didn't know what to expect, but after a few weeks, they were able to walk without assistance and weren't as short of breath."
She smiles. "We were weepy when it ended."
Crystal Aultman, the UHN project lead, says their immediate goal is to enable other districts to replicate this model.
"This was an opportunity to build a brand new program and implement it in North Bay, with the possibility of spreading it to communities that are even more remote," says Crystal.
She points to the strength this partnership generated within the community.
"When you mentioned UHN's name in North Bay … people were put at ease," she says, noting UHN's cardiac rehab program has been tried and tested around the world.
That confidence was key to bringing local partners together to build a program the community could truly own.
UHN also plans to document and publish the program's outcomes in the research literature, building a global evidence base that can guide countries facing similar challenges in remote or underserved regions.
