Newton medical office adds pulmonary rehab service

NEWTON - Pulmonary Medical Associates, LLP, located at 222 High Street, Newton have expanded their services to include pulmonary rehabilitation provided by Meridian Healthcare Group. Doctors Rakesh Garg and Daya Nadarajah established the practice and have since added Mina Mohammadi, M.D. All three physicians are board certified, members of the Newton Memorial Hospital medical staff, and specialize in pulmonary diseases Thirty-five million Americans are afflicted with chronic pulmonary diseases. It is the second leading cause of disability and the fourth leading cause of death. The Meridian Healthcare Group provides an effective and innovative model designed for the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with cardiopulmonary disease. Meridian’s pulmonary rehabilitation program is physician directed and provides a personal treatment plan. The program provides diagnostic testing, therapeutic exercises, medications and education training. It doesn’t just help the patient live with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but actually promotes recovery. Chores that seemed impossible to accomplish become doable under the program, and smokers who have been unable to stop will learn new and innovative ways to quit the habit. Participation in the program increases strength and endurance and reduces shortness of breath. The program’s goal is to help patients improve their quality of life and lead a more active life. The pulmonary rehabilitation patients at Pulmonary Medical Associates are guided and instructed by Kimberly A. May and Jodie L. Schoch, both of whom are registered respiratory therapists. May received a B.S. in allied health at the Quinnipiac College in Connecticut in 1985 and has worked in the respiratory care field since 1988. Most recently she worked as a staff respiratory therapist responsible for patient care, charting, arterial blood gases and critical care at Hackettstown Community Hospital. Schoch received her Associate of Applied Science in respiratory therapy from Sussex County Community College in Newton in 1996. She is also a certified home health aide. She has worked as a certified respiratory therapist since 1996. Prior to joining Meridian, she was with Pulmonary & Allergy Associates in Summit as a clinical research coordinator. A doctor is always immediately available whenever patients are engaged in the program, which is routinely covered by Medicare. Coverage provided by private insurance must be pre-certified. For information, call 973-579-5090.