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.