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The influence of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation (CR) participation on desirable patient outcomes is well established. Moreover, the role clinical exercise physiologists (CEP) and exercise physiologists serve in such programs is becoming better understood and desirable in many health care settings. Less understood, and perhaps more vital for substantiating the CEP’s role in health care, are the unseen benefits these professionals guarantee through high-quality CR services.

The Preventive Cardiology department at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, Michigan, employs 18 clinical exercise physiologists (CEPs) across three sites, as well as two registered dieticians (RDs); there are no other allied health professionals on staff.

A clinical exercise physiologist (CEP) is an allied health professional trained to work with persons diagnosed with a chronic disease for which exercise training has been shown to be therapeutically beneficial. Such conditions include cardiovascular, pulmonary, metabolic, neuromuscular, immunological and orthopedic disorders, among others. Primarily, CEPs work in medically supervised environments providing programs or services directed by a licensed physician. The ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist® (ACSM-CEP) credential is the gold standard certification and has the most rigorous educational requirements in the fitness industry. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the 2020-30 employment outlook for exercise physiologists is growing at a faster-than-average growth rate of 13%.

CEPA is aware of the new CPT codes that were recently accepted by the American Medical Association (AMA). Some of these codes describe services that could be delivered by a clinical exercise physiologist. CEPA is working with our partners at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Physical Activity Alliance (PAA) among others to determine the feasibility of reimbursement for these services.

The CEPA supports AACVPR’s tele-rehabilitation reimbursement efforts and passionately advocate for clinical exercise physiologists.