Union honors Vern Fellows with Cardiac Rehab Center

Howard Greninger, The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.
·3 min read

May 25—Union Health Foundation on Tuesday dedicated an expanded and renovated Cardiac Rehab Center in honor of Vern W. Fellows at Union Hospital.

The $73,000 grant from the foundation increased the size of the center by about a third, adding 540 more feet, enough space to add 10 more exercise machines and space out existing cardiac equipment such as elliptical machines and programmable recumbent bikes. The project also added new flooring, said Kelly Walker, assistant director of the foundation.

Fellows, who died in 2018 at the age of 81, was the former president and owner of B&A Electric of Terre Haute, and also served on the Union Health Foundation board. He was charter member and served as president from 1997 to 2001. He was a volunteer leader at the hospital for 33 years.

"My family and I would like to thank you for thinking of Vern in this honor in his name," said Janice Fellows, who had been married to Vern Fellow for 58 years.

"He would almost be speechless, but to those of you who knew him it would take a lot for him to be speechless, but this might be the one exception. Vern was proud of his association with Union Health Foundation, having been a charter member," Janice Fellows said.

"He was the first chairman of the foundation golf tournament that started in 1988," she said. "This will be the 34th (golf tournament) in June."

Fellows participated in the cardiac rehab center after receiving a heart stent in 2010, his wife said. "After his prescribed therapy, he continued as an out patient and came here for several years."

Walker said Vern Fellows "had personality plus. He was determined, friendly, jovial, generous...."

Jimmy McKanna, director of cardiac and pulmonary rehab and respiratory therapy at Union Hospital, said the Cardiac Rehab Center plays an important role for recovery in the Wabash Valley.

"We have a need in the Wabash Valley and we know where the need is and that is in heart health," McKanna said. "The Wabash Valley hits 23% to 50% higher than (the state average) in cardiac issues."

Citing 2020 state data, McKanna said counties in the Wabash Valley rank among the top five counties for age-adjusted cardiovascular deaths. Vermillion County ranks No. 1; Sullivan ranks No. 3; Clay County ranks No. 4 and Vigo County ranks No. 5

The rehab center at Union Hospital serves about 300 patients annually, "but there is about 900 actual patient visits that come through this area every month. That is 900 different times were are making different contacts with patients," he said.

Brittany Sampson, a registered nurse, said the focus is on improving heart health.

"We see patients after they have a heart attack, after they have cardiac stents placed or after (heart) value procedures or after open-heart surgery," Sampson said. "We adapt an exercise program for each individual," she said. The exercise programs last 12 weeks.

"We put them on a cardiac monitor to help get them to that (heart health) goal by the 12th weekend," she said.

Reporter Howard Greninger can be reached 812-231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com. Follow on Twitter@TribStarHoward.