CMH adds center for growing senior population

Citizens Memorial Healthcare in Bolivar wants to help seniors improve their health.

To accomplish that, it broke ground June 16 on the new CMH Senior Health Center at 1850 W. Broadway off Highway 32.

The 5,040-square-foot health center will provide free health services to the growing population of individuals 55 and older. Construction will cost $350,000.

The health center will offer water aerobics in the 16-by-30-foot indoor pool, full-service locker rooms and two medical examination rooms. Some rehabilitation classes may move to the center from Citizens Memorial Hospital, opening up more space at the hospital. With the pool at the health center, seniors will also be able to continue therapy on their own instead of at the hospital, said Esther Munch, community development spokesperson for CMH.

A library will be designed for health research; computers and online services will provide links to health care Web sites that will help seniors better understand conditions they may be facing.

Located directly behind Bolivar's existing senior center, which opened Oct. 8, 2002, the new facility will offer convenient access to health and fitness services. On average, 100 people eat lunch daily at the senior center Monday through Friday.

Loretta Bryant, president of the senior center board, said many will benefit from the proximity of the health and fitness center.

Citizens Memorial Healthcare became involved with the project because it saw an unmet need in the community.

"CMH has been experiencing extremely strong demand for its services, and we expect that the demand only will increase in the future," said Donald Babb, CEO/executive director of Citizens Memorial Healthcare. "CMH is responding to the need to serve the members of its community."

According to the 2000 Census, Polk County has 6,610 senior citizens 55 and older nearly 25 percent of the county's total population of 26,992.

Bolivar-based Design Group Architects Ltd. is the architect and Bolivar-based Shelenhamer Construction is the general contractor for the project. The facility is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

A portion of the project will be funded through Neighborhood Assistant Program tax credits. So far, area businesses have purchased $500,000 in NAP credits, and those funds will go to construct and equip the new health center.

CMH will provide staffing at the center when it opens at the end of the year.

"What we are hoping to do is find enough physicians where it would be staffed with a doctor say, Monday through Thursday, 9 (a.m.) to 4 p.m., Munch said. "But, I think (CMH is) still trying to get that worked out with the physicians here."

Jody Pool has been hired as the senior health center coordinator. Pool is the outgoing health educator for the Dallas County Health Department. CMH hopes to fill remaining positions with volunteers, Munch said.

Pool said the program will meet a large need in the area.

"There's really no indoor (exercise) facility anywhere in Bolivar, Polk County, Dallas County outside of Springfield," Pool said. "They will not only have a nice facility, but they're going to have a lot of different choices for exercise."