Published: November 02, 2009 08:24 pm         

Union Hospital Foundation honors two with awards

TERRE HAUTE — Dr. Eric Bennett and Fred Bauer were recently presented with Union Hospital Foundation’s Weinbaum and Baur awards, respectively.

The awards, presented to two recipients annually, are the most prestigious honor given by the Union Hospital Foundation. The recipients both were honored for their leadership and contributions to Union Hospital and the patients it serves.

The Weinbaum Award was established by the Union Hospital Foundation to recognize distinguished contributions to Union Hospital and its mission by a member of the medical and dental staff. It is named for Jack Weinbaum, an outstanding physician who made an important difference in Union Hospital’s ability to meet the needs of its patients during his 33-year tenure.

The Weinbaum Award is presented to a member of the medical staff of Union Hospital or Union Hospital Clinton who has provided outstanding service to the practice of medicine at either hospital as demonstrated by leadership to establish innovative or new services, leadership to improve the quality of care provided to patients of the hospital and leadership to provide education to the medical and dental staff or hospital personnel.

This year’s recipient, Bennett, has been a member of the Union Hospital medical staff since 1978. Throughout his tenure, he has remained a key player in the development, growth and reputation of the hospital’s Emergency Department, serving multiple terms as the chair of that department.

For more than 25 years, Bennett actively taught and trained family practice residents and has been honored as Family Practice Teacher of the Year for his contributions in that capacity. His role in the growth of Indiana University’s Medical School satellite location in Terre Haute has also been significant as he assisted in expanding it to a four-year program. He is also responsible for developing the emergency department curriculum for that program and has been active since its inception in the instruction of numerous classes for first- to fourth-year students.

Bennett and his wife Wendy are actively involved in the community as avid supporters of the arts and education.

The Baur Award was established by the Union Hospital Foundation to recognize exceptional leadership and contributions by persons who serve as an employee or a volunteer of the Union Hospital Health Group. The award is named for Sister Johanna Baur who served as the first head nurse and the first superintendent of Union Hospital. The Baur Award is given to a person who serves in one of these roles who has provided outstanding service as evidenced by contribution of time and expertise to improve patient care or other aspects of the hospital’s service to their respective communities, contributions to establish new programs or services and leadership of the operations and management of Union Hospital.

Bauer, this year’s recipient, has been serving Union Hospital as a member of the board of directors for more than 40 years. During that time he served as vice chairman and chair of various major board committees. As a partner of the Bauer & Duffy Law Firm, Bauer currently serves as a practicing attorney in the community. For 33 years, he was a member of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education for the state of Indiana, including tenure as the chair for the commission. He has been named Sagamore of the Wabash, the State’s highest honor, six times, awarded to him by five different governors.

Bauer first became involved in hospital affairs as a member of the Indiana State Legislature, playing an integral role in securing funds to help finance the first construction phase of Union Hospital West. Bauer was also a key player in positioning Terre Haute, above other Indiana cities, as an ideal satellite location for the IU School of Medicine. Throughout his tenure on the board, Bauer voiced his support of the development of the Family Practice Center at Union Hospital and chaired the committee responsible for selecting the first Residency Program director, Dr. Jim Buechler.