Save Share Print

Home News Joseph E. Acker Jr., MD patient education room dedicated

Joseph E. Acker Jr., MD patient education room dedicated

Published: Friday, October 9, 2009

Retired cardiologist recognized by UT Medical Center’s Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

Pictured in the photo, from left to right: Julia Van Mol, Dr. John Acker, Dr. Joe Acker, Jr., Polly Acker, Judy Mitchell, Joe Acker, III.

Through the generous contribution by the family of retired cardiologist Dr. Joseph E. Acker, Jr., The University of Tennessee Medical Center’s Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (CPVR) program now has a patient education room. The Joseph E. Acker, Jr., M.D., Patient Education Room is a multi-functional room where cardiovascular and pulmonary patients and their family members work with the CVPR staff to determine personalized plans of care and goals for rehabilitation.

"I think it's so fitting to have his name on the patient education room,” said
Dr. John Acker, a physician with University Cardiology and son of Dr. Joe Acker, Jr. “For four decades he's dedicated his time and passion to educating patients, other physicians and staff about the importance and benefits of cardiovascular rehabilitation and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease."

Along with Dr. Freeman Rawson and Dr. Frank London, Dr. Acker was one of the three founding partners of Knoxville Cardiovascular Group, which is now known as University Cardiology. Dr. Acker was on the national cardiac rehabilitation board that convinced the medical world about the merits of cardiac rehabilitation and set the national standards and guidelines for cardiac rehabilitation in the 1960s. In addition, he served on state boards and committees as well as participated in national and international symposiums focused on cardiac rehabilitation.

"It's just wonderful to have people recognize what we worked at getting accepted throughout all those years,” said Dr. Joe Acker, Jr. “We were happy to take even the reluctant acceptance that people had given us for cardiac rehabilitation, because any acceptance meant lives could be saved and improved through rehab. Cardiac rehabilitation improves the length, quantity and quality of life in all phases."

The education room serves as the place patients and family members gather on their first day of cardiovascular and pulmonary rehabilitation. There they are given an overview of the CVPR program and what to expect as well as how the family can be involved in a strong support role. Additionally, the room is used by each patient and their support person, where multi-disciplinary education is provided based on individual needs. Classes include Cardiovascular Risk Reduction, Managing Angina, Stress Reduction and Safe Exercise. Private sessions with a pharmacist, chaplain, dietitian and psychologist also are available.

The Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation program is part of the Heart Lung Vascular Institute located at UT Medical Center. For answers to questions regarding Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, call (865) 305-6920.

The mission of The University of Tennessee Medical Center is to serve through healing, education and discovery. UT Medical Center, a 581-bed, not-for-profit academic medical center, serves as a referral center for Eastern Tennessee, Southeast Kentucky and Western North Carolina. The medical center, the region’s only Level I Trauma Center, is one of the largest employers in Knoxville. For more information about The University of Tennessee Medical Center, visit online at www.utmedicalcenter.org.