Articles
Distinguished Member of the Year 2026- Eric Larson
IACPR Distinguished member of the year is awarded to acknowledge an individual who has made significant contributions to the state affiliate society. This year’s nomination brings reflection on what becoming a part of IACPR is all about and how it can impact your professional career with colleagues, mentors, and friends that have like values and passions for what we do and the patients we care for.
From the first conference that he attended, we knew we needed to get him involved. He has run with any idea we have asked of him, and he takes any challenge as an opportunity to learn, grow, and bring positive change. This individual is an Education Committee Director, a BOD Region Mentor, and a past President who stepped up in our time of need to fill the Presidency for an additional term. He is committed to empowering students, physicians, colleagues, and leaders in our profession through the 31 years of experience as an EP in Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab by embracing program shadowing, speaking engagements, and numerous research projects. His current research project is Dietary Impacts on Cardiac Rehab Patients-Role of a Dietician Consult. His collaborative approach has helped programs outside of his network while making impactful connections along the way. He brings fresh ideas from his leadership experience through MOKSACVPR. He has been instrumental in the grass roots for the professionals new to Cardiac Rehab and IACPR strategic planning. As an influential leader, he has introduced the idea and volunteered to lead a Bootcamp for up-and-coming leaders that are dedicated to the future of our affiliate.
Distinguished Program of the Year 2026- Marshalltown Cardiopulmonary Rehab
Contributions to the provision of Cardiac and/or Pulmonary Rehab:
Over the last few years Marshalltown Cardiopulmonary Rehab has made many strides to contribute to the provision of Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehab. Some highlights of accomplishments include moving the Rehab from the dated hospital that went through Derecho in 2020 to the new hospital in 2022. With this a multitude of changes were made to improve patient flow, access, staff efficiency, patient care & education, safety, communication, documentation, and much more. This included invovative evidence based practices like weaning telemetry, blood pressures, and pulse oximeter monitoring as patients progressed through the program based on risk stratification. Patients also were encouraged to get more involved with their program progression and workout design through distributing daily workout plans, improved RPE/RPD education, changes to the ITPs and more. Both of these things helped allow patients better progressive independence and improved confidence for lifetime behavior change at discharge.
The program also started both a pulmonary and PAD program in 2023. This involved assessing need, budgeting changes, purchasing equipment, advertising, scott care builds, creating patient education and charting, and other things too numerous to name. This and the other various changes to improve efficiency, adherance, outcomes, and patient satisfaction has led to a net increase of over 500 patient visits per year from 2022 to 2025!
Staff education and support has improved greatly too as they were added to the daily Allen huddles, they were represented on the monthly cardiopulmonary rehab leadership meetings in the UnityPoint system, and they completed both the AACVPR cardiac competency bundle and the pulmonary certification bundle. They now also regulary attend state conference, AACVPR webinars, and plan to go to the Lacrosse CR workshop this spring.
The Marshalltown program appreciates all the support they have received throughout these extensive changes from neighboring rehabs that let them visit and share knowledge, other rehabs throughout their system that helped them critically evaluate ideas, the providers that worked to increase appropriate referrals and move from paper to electronic processes, other departments within the hospital that made the day to day possible or started floating to our department to elevate the education, and our wonderful medical director who consistently goes above and beyond. As manager I would most of all like to thank my staff who were so patient, inquizative, positive, knowledgeable, self-directive, and on and on…I can’t say enough about how much you deserve this award and how much you have done for the Marshalltown community!
Aleshia Bloker
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
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
The IACPR needs your help.
The 2 bills below have a direct effect on the provision and reimbursement of cardiac and pulmonary rehab.
• We are asking you to call or email your representatives using your own program/patient/person stories –these usually mean the most! Phone numbers and links to their websites are below!
• It is important to be able to tell/show our patients how important they are to us by advocating for them
• Your specific program may not be in need of these bills today, but you never know what the future holds (running out of hospital space)
• Once these pass it will be so rewarding to be able to say that you had a part in this legislation and improving access.
• Recruit: Patients, friends, etc. Anyone can advocate, all you need is a passion for the topic (cardiac and pulmonary rehab –low cost, great outcomes, personal stories, etc.)
SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act (H.R. 7666 / S. 3908)
• This would “correct an unintended consequence created by the BBA (Bipartisan Budget Act) of 2015, Sect. 603 (Public Law 114-71), which decreased reimbursement for hospital outpatient programs that moved a current program to a new location > 250 yards from the hospital (this would include moving a current grandfathered program to a different suite in same location) or opening a new program > 250 yards from the hospital.
• This bill has no known opposition, and CMS is supportive. Totally dependent on passage by legislature. As of 3/13/2026 House has 21 co-sponsors (none from Iowa) and Senate has 2 co-sponsors.
• What are we asking for: Support fair and sustainable payment policies to stabilize CR/PR programs and ensure all eligible patients can participate.
Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act (H.R. 783/ S. 248).
• The recently passed Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 7148), which includes a provision to extend Medicare telehealth and in-home CR/PR rehab flexibilities through 2027 is a temporary solution.
• This bill would permanently allow MC beneficiaries to receive CR or PR services via virtual telecommunications technology (real-time, audio-video) in the beneficiary’s home. Virtual supervision would be allowed through this two-way A-V technology.
• As of 3/13/2026, there are 36 co-sponsors in the House. Miller-Meeks is our only state representative currently signed on as a co-sponsor and Senate has 6 co-sponsors.
• What we are we asking: Make this flexibility permanent so patients facing transportation, geographic, or other barriers can continue receiving care at home.
Phone numbers and links to your representatives and senators
Iowa Representatives
• District #1
Miller-Meeks, Mariannette
Phone #:(202) 225-6576
• District #2
Hinson, Ashley
Phone#:(202) 225-2911
• District #3
Nunn, Zachary
Phone #:(202) 225-5476
• District #4
Feenstra, Randy
Phone#:(202) 225-4426
Iowa’s Senators
• Ernst, Joni
o Phone #: (202) 224-3254
• Grassley, Chuck
o Phone #: (202) 224-3744
Aleshia Bloker, IACPR legislative chairperson, and Desiree McDonough, IACPR member, attended Day on the Hill to keep fighting for the support of cardiac and pulmonary rehab. Check out the article to learn more and thank these IACPR members for their hard work.
Check out this News and Views article from the AACVPR
Momentum on the Hill: AACVPR Advocates for Telehealth and In-Home Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab Permanency
Please check out the IACPR Newsletter for info about what's going one now with our association.
IACPR Newsletter 2026 Final.docx
Please take a moment to read this article featuring our own Aleshia Bloker, BSN, CCRP, about her experience with AACVPR's Day on the Hill.
This year the IACPR is honoring Kim Eppen for her amazing contributions to this association.
From Janie Knipper:
Kim Eppen is an extremely valuable asset to Pulmonary Rehab, IACPR, & AACVPR; but most of all to the patients who had the opportunity to work with Kim. Kim's positive approach to patients and their significant others, and her use of health coaching made a tremendous impact on their lives, helping them to see the changes that are needed to be made to live a better life. Kim's ability to teach the science of exercise in an understandable and practical way helped all of us as staff become better practitioners. I was truly blessed to have had the opportunity to work so closely with Kim & learn from her for so many years!
Eric Larson:
Kim has been a huge asset to the organization, not only with her experience in the field and willingness to share that through presentations and publications, but also her overall love of the field. She is passionate in what she teaches, and that passion is seen by all. She has been an active member for years and has presented multiple times at both the national and state level.
Brandy Tripp:
Kim was created to do good work, to empower & inspire. She has worked in Pulmonary Rehab for 26 years and her passion for what we do is contagious. She has held academic positions throughout her entire career and is committed to challenging herself and to continued learning. She is invested in challenging herself, her colleagues in the field, the future of our field, and most importantly our patients. Kim's clinical experience, knowledge, passion, & willingness to share in the service of others is unmatched.
Kim Eppen PT, PhD, FAACVPR is the Distinguished Member of the Year.
Eric Larson(L) now IACPR president-elect, Kim Eppen (C),
and Brandy Tripp (R) IACPR president.
This year the IACPR leadership chose to create a new award to acknowledge a program, in Iowa, that has made significant contributions to the provision of Cardiac and/or Pulmonary Rehabilitation by recognizing them as the "IACPR Distinguished Program of the Year"
Congratulations to the Pulmonary Rehabilitation program at the UI Health Care Medical Center, which is the 2024 IACPR Distinguished Program of the Year.
Please read the following link to see the contributions of this program.
IACPR Distinguished Program of the Year.docx
The fall newsletter is now available. Take a peak to see what opportunities are available for members. Click the link below.
IACPR Fall 2023 Newsletter.docx
At the spring conference, Susan Flack was honored as the Distinguished Member of the Year. The following is the nomination provided by Eric Larson and Brandy Tripp.
IACPR 2023 Distinguished Member of the Year
Susan Flack
IACPR would like each year to acknowledge an individual who has made significant contributions to the state affiliate society by recognizing them as the ‘IACPR Distinguished Member of the Year’.
