Troy, Ohio-based Upper Valley Medical Center is naming its cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation center after retired nurse Ruth Jenkins, Sidney Daily News reported Nov. 17.
Five things to know:
- The center has been named the Ruth Jenkins Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehab Center. The center opened in 2020 but the center's name wasn't unveiled until Nov. 17, when Ms. Jenkins was surprised at an open house.
- Ms. Jenkins founded the CardioPulmonary Rehabilitation program at Stouder Memorial Hospital in Troy in 1985. She worked as a nurse at the hospital and later became a vital part of the program.
- The program started in the basement of Stouder Memorial with two patients, but the hospital closed in 1998. In the same year, Upper Valley Medical Center opened and the program had grown to between 80 and 100 patients. In 2021, the program has its own building and entrance attached to Upper Valley's campus.
- Ms. Jenkins spent 50 years as a nurse with the hospital and 20 years on the board of the hospital's foundation, and she remains a clinical instructor in Upper Valley's nursing program following her retirement.
- "I’m thrilled that we’re able to name the center in Ruth’s honor," said Duanna Osting, president of the UVMC Foundation. "Not only was Ruth a founder of the program, but she also helped with the fundraising for the project. Her passion and 50 years of service to Upper Valley Medical Center and 20 years of service to its foundation will forever be remembered."