Abbeville Area Medical Center (AAMC) announced that it will reopen its Wellness Center to members effective September 5th. The Board of Trustees made the decision at its July 25th meeting after many YMCA members and former program members expressed their continued need for a local place to exercise.
“The initial decision to close the Wellness program following the departure of the Abbeville YMCA was a difficult one,” stated Gene Pruitt, Chair of the AAMC Board of Trustees. “We did, however, continue to look for a solution that would balance the needs of our therapy patients and provide our community with access to a safe, comfortable and supportive exercise environment.”
The Center will be open to wellness program members Monday through Friday from 6:00am to 8:00am and 5:00pm to 7:00pm beginning Tuesday, September 5th and reserved for therapy patients only between 8:00am and 5:00pm. Membership pricing ranges from $28.00 to $45.00 a month. Silver Sneakers program members will be accepted, and employees will be able to utilize the facility free of charge.
“AAMC is committed to the health and wellbeing of the Abbeville community,” stated Rod Boula, AAMC Interim CEO. “We understand the importance of providing health and wellness services to our community and are pleased we were able to come up with a creative solution that meets both our rehabilitation department’s growth and community’s need for a place to work out.”
Boula stated that these programs come with significant costs and often do not break even financially, adding that losses that are incurred are difficult for small hospitals to absorb, especially in today’s challenging healthcare climate and membership fees alone typically do not cover the costs of staffing, equipment replacement, maintenance and repair and regulatory requirements.
While the Abbeville YMCA had approximately 80 members at the time of its closure, around 35 came on a regular basis.
AAMC and the YMCA entered into a multi-year lease in March of 2022, which gave the Y use of the Wellness Center space, which is also occupied by AAMC’s rehabilitation services. A mutual decision to end the agreement was made in June of this year after the Y reported the facility did not perform as projected during its first full year of operation and that membership was not sufficient to sustain the facility long-term. At the same time, AAMC was in need of additional space to support the significant growth of its rehabilitation services.
If you are interested in learning more about AAMC’s Wellness Program or would like to request an application, contact (864) 366-3330 or visit AbbevilleAreaMC.com/Wellness-Center.
