A wellness center has long been a goal of the staff of South Gilliam Health Center and the South Gilliam County Health District. We struggled to fund a large, all-encompassing facility. In March of 2014, the staff decided that while a larger facility may be the best option for our patients, the community had an immediate need for a wellness facility. With this need as our driving force, we determined that building a wellness center onto the clinic was the best option. We knew the facility should be a place where people could participate in individual or group fitness classes, a place to reach physical health goals, and a place for patients to go to continue physical therapy.
In May 2014, we applied for two grants to help finance this goal. One grant was from Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization (EOCCO) to purchase equipment for a wellness center and the development of a wellness program. An additional grant, from the Office of Rural Health was for the purchase of Fitness on Demand. This is a fitness program that comes with over 150 exercises. Fortunately, both grant committees recognized the same need in our community and fully funded both of the grant proposals. The combined grant totals are almost $120,000. These grants, along with capital improvement money previously set aside by the South Gilliam County Health District Board, has allowed us to complete construction without asking for a Bond or any additional County funding. With continued funding by the County and donations from individuals, we plan to offer usage of the Wellness Center free of charge to all clinic patients and county residents.
We are so eager to get the Wellness Center up and running. Please visit often to see about any updates that may be posted.