Transportation to Cardiac Rehab in Metro Detroit: Getting to Every Session After a Heart Attack or Heart Surgery

Your mom had bypass surgery two weeks ago. The surgeon is happy, the incision is healing, and the cardiologist has handed her a referral for cardiac rehab: three mornings a week at a hospital program across town, starting next Monday. She isn't allowed to drive yet. Your dad doesn't drive on the freeway anymore. You work.

This guide covers transportation to cardiac rehab in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties: why the schedule is hard to cover, how long driving is usually off the table after heart surgery, how to book a full 12-week ride plan, and how the rides are paid. It's written for spouses and adult children, and for the cardiac rehab staff, discharge planners and senior-living teams who help patients keep their sessions.

CuraTransit is a non-emergency medical transportation company based in Southfield. Most cardiac rehab patients walk, so the usual fit is our door-to-door ambulatory transportation, with wheelchair vans for patients who need them.

The short answer

Outpatient cardiac rehab usually means three one-hour sessions a week for about 12 weeks, often while the patient isn't cleared to drive. Book door-to-door rides as one recurring schedule: an assisted ambulatory ride for someone who walks, a wheelchair van for someone who uses a wheelchair, with the ride home timed to the session. CuraTransit covers Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties. Call 248-320-9092 or book a ride.

What cardiac rehab is, and why the ride matters

Cardiac rehabilitation is a medically supervised program built around exercise and risk-factor education (Corewell Health). Cleveland Clinic lists the people it is meant for, including those recovering from a heart attack, heart failure, stable angina, coronary bypass surgery, angioplasty with or without a stent, heart valve repair or replacement and a heart transplant. You need a referral from your healthcare provider (Cleveland Clinic, "Cardiac Rehabilitation: Choosing a Program").

The program comes in phases. Phase 1 starts in the hospital. Phase 2 is the outpatient part, where you go to a center for sessions and go home afterward. Phase 3 is exercise you continue on your own. Phase 2 is where transportation becomes a problem: Cleveland Clinic describes a typical 12-week program of 36 sessions, three one-hour sessions a week, and Henry Ford Health says most of its patients attend three sessions a week for up to 12 weeks, with ECG-monitored exercise (Henry Ford Health cardiac rehab).

That's a lot of round trips. And the stakes are real. Million Hearts, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services initiative, says cardiac rehab reduces hospital readmissions, deaths and costs, yet fewer than 1 in 3 eligible patients take part (Million Hearts, hospital cardiac rehabilitation reports).

Distance is part of the reason. A study published in JACC Advances in 2026, with Henry Ford Health among the contributing researchers, looked at more than 500,000 patients after a heart procedure. Enrollment was 45.6% for patients living in the same ZIP code as a cardiac rehab facility and 19.5% for those 30 or more miles away (Henry Ford Health Scholarly Commons). The American Heart Association also names transportation as a barrier and suggests asking your doctor about medical transport services (American Heart Association, Cardiac Rehab FAQ).

In plain terms: the program works, but only if the patient gets there. A ride plan made before the first session is one of the simplest ways to protect it.

Driving after heart surgery or a heart attack: how long?

Your surgeon or cardiologist sets the date, and it varies with the procedure and how recovery goes. Published guidance gives a sense of the range after open-heart surgery:

• The American Heart Association's recovery guide says to avoid driving for six weeks after heart surgery, and that you can ride as a passenger anytime (AHA, "How Can I Recover From Heart Surgery?").
• Cleveland Clinic says most people can drive again about a month after a sternotomy, and advises wearing a seat belt and sitting in the front passenger seat while the breastbone heals (Cleveland Clinic, Sternotomy).

After a heart attack, angioplasty or a new heart-failure diagnosis, the timeline depends on the person, so ask the cardiologist directly before the first rehab session.

Here's why that matters for planning. A 12-week rehab program usually begins within weeks of the hospital stay, so the first stretch of sessions often falls while the patient is still a passenger. Many families plan rides for the first month or more and then reassess with the care team, rather than assuming the patient will drive themselves from day one.

Which ride fits for cardiac rehab?

Most cardiac rehab patients walk in on their own or with a cane or walker. Some are frail, very deconditioned or recovering from a long hospital stay and use a wheelchair for distance. Match the ride to how the person moves today.

A wheelchair van after heart surgery can make sense in the early weeks for patients who are weak or unsteady over long hallways and parking lots, even if they walk short distances at home. Tell us when you book and we'll match the vehicle. For a broader comparison, see wheelchair van vs. ambulance vs. rideshare.

If the person has chest pain, severe shortness of breath or other warning signs, call 911. NEMT rides are for scheduled, non-emergency trips only.

How to set up recurring rides to cardiac rehab

Cardiac rehab is one of the most predictable schedules in medicine: same days, same time, same building, for weeks. That makes it easy to book once and stop worrying about it.

1. Get the schedule from the program. Ask the cardiac rehab office for the start date, session days and times, the building entrance and how early patients should arrive to check in.
2. Tell us how the person moves. Walker, cane or wheelchair; whether stairs at home are a problem; any restrictions the surgeon gave, such as lifting limits. Cleveland Clinic's sternotomy guidance, for example, says not to lift more than 10 pounds, so the driver handles walkers, bags and doors.
3. Book all 36 sessions as one schedule. Give us the days, times and address. We set it up as a recurring schedule, with the same driver whenever possible.
4. Time the ride home. Sessions are typically about an hour. Book the return with an estimated end time so the patient isn't waiting in the lobby after exercising. If the session runs long, the program or the patient calls and we adjust.
5. Add follow-up visits to the same plan. Cardiology check-ins, lab work and primary care visits often land during the same 12 weeks. Book them with the rehab rides so nothing is missed.
6. Plan for winter. Rehab sessions in Metro Detroit run through ice and snow. Clear and salt the path from the door to the driveway before pickup days.
7. Update us as recovery changes. When the care team clears the patient to drive, or they move from a wheelchair to a walker, tell us and we'll change or end the schedule.

Here's how that can look. A Royal Oak couple books rides for the husband's cardiac rehab in Troy, Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 AM, starting three weeks after his bypass surgery. He walks with a cane, so he rides ambulatory, and his wife takes the companion seat on the first day to meet the rehab team. Six weeks in, his surgeon clears him to drive, the family drops the mid-week rides, and he finishes the program driving himself.

Arranging cardiac rehab rides for a parent? Call 248-320-9092 or book online. We'll confirm the ride type, the companion seat and the price of the whole schedule before the first trip.

Cardiac rehab transportation in Metro Detroit: where patients go

Cardiac rehab programs run at hospitals and outpatient centers across the region, and patients don't always go to the one nearest home. Some of the programs Metro Detroit patients are referred to:

• Henry Ford Health lists cardiac rehabilitation locations across southeast Michigan, including Detroit (Second Avenue), West Bloomfield, Livonia, Wyandotte and Henry Ford Macomb's Seville location in Clinton Township (Henry Ford Health cardiac rehab).
• Corewell Health runs cardiac rehab programs in southeast Michigan, many certified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, including the program at Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital on Dequindre Road (Corewell Health cardiac rehabilitation).
• Other hospital-based and outpatient programs across the three counties, depending on where the patient was treated.

CuraTransit is not affiliated with any of these health systems. We drive patients to whichever program their cardiologist chose:

• Wayne County. Homes in Detroit, Dearborn and Livonia to programs in Detroit, Livonia, Wyandotte and nearby. See Wayne County.
• Oakland County. Southfield, Royal Oak, Troy, Farmington Hills, Novi and Pontiac, including programs in Troy and West Bloomfield. See Oakland County.
• Macomb County. Warren, Sterling Heights and Clinton Township, including Henry Ford Macomb's program. See Macomb County.

A Dearborn patient doing rehab in Detroit, or a Warren patient referred to a program in Troy, is a routine trip for us. Longer trips outside the three counties are quoted case by case depending on distance.

What to bring to cardiac rehab

• Comfortable exercise clothes and supportive walking shoes
• The current medication list, including any new heart medications from the hospital
• ID, insurance cards and the referral paperwork for the first session
• Water, if the program allows it
• The person's own walker or cane, even if they only use it outdoors
• Glasses and hearing aids, and questions for the rehab nurse or exercise physiologist

For cardiac rehab programs, discharge planners and senior communities

Missed sessions are a familiar problem for rehab programs, and transportation is often the reason. CuraTransit works with facilities across Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties to keep patients on schedule:

• Recurring rides for rehab patients who can't drive, set up once for the full program
• Rides for assisted living and senior-community residents to off-site cardiac rehab, with handoffs to staff on return
• Discharge rides from the hospital home or to a rehab stay, booked by phone, email or fax (248-919-0942)
• Contract pricing for regular volume. See patient transportation contracts or set up an account on our Healthcare Partners page.

Our drivers are trained, background-checked and CPR-certified. They help with mobility, doors and handoffs, but they are not medical staff. A patient who needs clinical monitoring on the way should travel by ambulance.

Who pays for rides to cardiac rehab?

With CuraTransit, rides are paid in one of four ways:

1. Private pay. Most families book and pay directly. We quote the price before booking, based on distance, ride type and wait time, and can quote the full recurring schedule. See private pay medical transportation. Some families use HSA or FSA funds; see using an HSA for medical transportation.
2. Facility contract. Hospitals, rehab programs and senior communities with an account schedule rides and are billed on agreed terms.
3. Michigan auto no-fault (PIP). Only when the treatment is for injuries from a car accident, after benefit verification. A heart condition on its own is not an auto claim. See Michigan no-fault medical transportation.
4. MACP. For eligible car-accident cases with no applicable auto policy, once the claim is assigned and benefits are verified.

Our insurance and payment page explains each option. Your health plan may cover the rehab program itself; that is separate from the ride, so ask the program's billing office about the sessions.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to cardiac rehab if I can't drive?

Book door-to-door rides with a non-emergency medical transportation provider. Most patients ride ambulatory with a driver who helps them to and from the door; patients who use a wheelchair ride in a wheelchair van. Set up all sessions as one recurring schedule.

How many cardiac rehab sessions are there?

A typical outpatient program is 36 sessions over 12 weeks, three one-hour sessions a week, according to Cleveland Clinic. Your program may differ, so confirm the schedule with the rehab office before booking rides.

How long after heart surgery can you drive?

Your surgeon decides. The American Heart Association's recovery guide says to avoid driving for six weeks after heart surgery, while Cleveland Clinic says most people drive again about a month after a sternotomy. You can ride as a passenger in the meantime.

Can a family member ride along to cardiac rehab?

Yes. A spouse, adult child or caregiver can ride in the companion seat. Mention it when you book so we reserve the seat.

Can you set up recurring rides to cardiac rehab?

Yes. Give us the days, times and address of the program and we'll book the whole schedule, with the same driver whenever possible. Call if the schedule changes or the patient is cleared to drive.

Does insurance pay for transportation to cardiac rehab?

CuraTransit accepts private pay, facility contracts, and Michigan no-fault or MACP benefits when the treatment is for car-accident injuries. For most heart patients, rides are private pay or arranged by a facility. We quote the price before you book.

Do you provide stretcher transport after heart surgery?

No. CuraTransit provides wheelchair-accessible van and ambulatory rides only. If the person must lie flat or needs monitoring during the trip, use an ambulance provider.

Don't let the ride be the reason a session is missed

Cardiac rehab only helps if the patient shows up, three times a week, for weeks. CuraTransit provides door-to-door transportation to cardiac rehab across Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties, with assisted ambulatory rides or wheelchair vans and a companion seat for the person they trust. Rides are paid through private pay, a facility contract, or Michigan no-fault and MACP benefits after verification when an accident is involved. Book a ride, set up a facility account on our partners page, or contact us at 248-320-9092.

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Sources: Cleveland Clinic — Cardiac Rehabilitation: Choosing a Program; Henry Ford Health — Cardiac Rehab; Corewell Health — Cardiac Rehabilitation; Million Hearts — Hospital-Specific Cardiac Rehabilitation Reports; Henry Ford Health Scholarly Commons — Travel Distance, Urbanicity, and Cardiac Rehabilitation Participation (JACC Advances, 2026); American Heart Association — Cardiac Rehab FAQ; American Heart Association — How Can I Recover From Heart Surgery?; Cleveland Clinic — Sternotomy.