In 2015 the local Community Hospital requested permission from the state Department of Public Health Certificate of Need Board to close the Center for development of an ambulatory care center. As a result of significant pressure from the community and a vocal contingency of people living with Multiple Sclerosis, the municipality exchanged a vacant site for the Center with the local Community Hospital.

BUILDING A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

Parks and Recreation Departments usually self-manage their public recreation assets, including fitness centers. This ensures they fulfill their mission to enhance the quality of life for the residents they serve, promoting community health and well-being through quality recreational programming. The Parks and Recreation Director for the municipality noted: “We always want to serve our community in the highest, best level we can. The Center’s medically integrated approach is pretty significant. It gives our municipality confidence in case anything happens there’s qualified staff to help; staff to guide people along their paths to good health.” While over 80% of the Sports Facility members are municipality residents, approximately 60% of Center members are municipality residents. As a result of the purchase and management transition, the Center increased utilization from just over 3,300 members in 2017, prior to municipality ownership to nearly 4,000 members in 2019. This represents a 16% increase. Recognizing the Center’s unique focus on medical fitness and significant non-resident draw, the Department selected Power Wellness Management, LLC (Power Wellness) as a strategic partner to manage operations. The Center is a benefit to local residents and adjacent communities.

IMPROVING POPULATION HEALTH

The Center’s full range of traditional and medical fitness programming has had a positive impact on participants’ quality of life. Through the integration of health education, health assessment technology, and targeted programming, the Center supports a wide variety of community wellness needs. The Center Director agrees: “The Center gives the municipality something they did not really have, another avenue to serve area residents with a holistic approach to health and recreation.” The Parks and Recreation Director also noted how efficiently Power Wellness makes it for the Department to serve the community: “Power Wellness transparently handles everything…one of the nice things about the contractual relationship is I don’t have day-to-day worries. The highly qualified staff acts on our behalf. It’s pretty seamless – outsiders don’t know that the people at the Center don’t work for the municipality. They make the municipality look good.” In addition to a special population programs supporting individuals living with Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and diabetes, Power Wellness deployed MyFitRx® a prescriptive fitness program requiring a physician referral. MyFitRx® features 10 pathways for individuals living with chronic conditions or preparing for life changing events, such as arthroplasty. Program interest has grown organically through positive health outcomes. As a result, in 2018 the Center was awarded the Medical Fitness Association’s “Facility of the Year” award for medical fitness excellence.