The Baxter Regional Medical Center Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit has been helping cardiac patients since the early 1980s. This unique unit has provided cardiac patients seeking to regain strength after a heart event or looking to prevent heart related issues with a place to do so located close to home. This unit also provides an extra benefit to the patients - all workouts are performed within immediate proximity of nurses and technicians trained to monitor each workout and assist patients in the event of a heart related emergency.

Since its inception this program has grown, often seeing up to 100 patients per day. In January, 2010, another level of care was made available to patients in this unit in the form of pulmonary rehabilitation. Each cardiac or pulmonary rehab patient receives one on one attention from the staff to develop a plan consisting of education, lifestyle changes, healthy eating plans and workout routines to help set them back on a path to health.

After moving to the current location in the hospital in 2003, the unit received no significant updatesandhellip; until now. Thanks to the generosity of a caring community and a naming gift from the BRMC Auxiliary, the newly renovated unit is now called the BRMC Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit sponsored by the BRMC Auxiliary. A total of $250,000 was raised by Baxter Regional Hospital Foundation to support this renovation.

On Thursday, September 8, 2016, an open house was held to honor each of the donors who made this renovation possible. Those in attendance were able to take a tour of the newly remodeled area, which features updates and expansions. The gym area is now larger to accommodate a growing patient population in a space that is better suited to handle those with specials needs, such as patients who require assistance from a walker or cane. Additional exercise equipment was also purchased as a result of donor gifts to reduce wait times on high volume days. New flooring and more functional work spaces for the nurses and technicians were included in this renovation as well.

According to Dawn Tullis, RN, Cardiac Rehab Coordinator, cardiac disease has become the number one killer for both men and women in the U.S. andldquo;Having a facility like this eliminates the need for our patients to travel many miles away from home to receive the same type of rehab they are able to get at BRMC, our community hospital. When you are dealing with the types of issues our patients are dealing with, traveling long distances is the last thing you want to be doing,” Tullis said.