Church Health Center Wellness certified as Medical Fitness Facility
Church Health Center Wellness was recently certified as a Medical Fitness Center, which means that the Center’s wellness facility has been recognized as a place where people with health conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity are able to exercise safely.
“For years, we’ve worked hard to find creative ways to help people – even those with chronic diseases – learn to exercise, eat right and live healthier, joy-filled lives,” said Church Health Center Executive Director Dr. Scott Morris. “Now we have been recognized as a leader in this area.”
The certification is another step toward a more integrated whole-person model of care for the Center, which now schedules all new patient appointments at its wellness center. All new patients meet with a health coach before ever seeing a doctor.
“We strive to be a ‘physician extender,’ ” said Church Health Center Assistant Director of Integrated Health Jenny Bartlett-Prescott. “We will serve in a complementary capacity to help guide patients as they follow their physician’s advice on exercise, nutrition and other lifestyle changes to help them improve or maintain their health.”
The Center’s wellness facility opened in 1996 at 1216 Peabody Ave., before moving to its current 80,000-square-foot location at 1115 Union Ave. Baptist Health Care has leased the building to the Church Health Center for $1 per year for the last 10 years.
“For every dollar we spend providing quality affordable healthcare to our patients, we spend a dollar on prevention,” Dr. Morris said. “We have a responsibility not only to care for the sick, but also to give people the tools and resources to keep themselves healthy.”
Church Health Center Wellness is open to the entire community with fees charged on a sliding scale based on family size and income. It offers everything from personalized exercise plans and cooking classes to group exercise classes and activities for children and teens. The Center’s staff includes certified exercise professionals, certified health coaches and registered dietitians.
More than 120,000 member visits were logged last year. In 2003, Church Health Center Wellness won the Innovations in Prevention Award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
For information about Church Health Center Wellness, call (901) 259-4673