The YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region and Penrose-St. Francis Health Services have entered into a community partnership to improve the health of residents in Colorado Springs where both organizations are located.
The two non-profit groups announced the partnership on Dec. 18, with plans to offer new programs and services such as health risk assessments, screenings and employee wellness. The YMCA and Penrose-St. Francis will look to build new locations together during the next several years, and they plan to offer joint wellness programs to some area employers on a pilot basis, Y President and CEO Boyd Williams told the Colorado Springs Gazette.
"The Y is thrilled to have Penrose-St. Francis as our health care system partner of choice," Williams said in a statement. "Aligning our shared values and vision, the Y realizes that through collaborative efforts we can have a greater impact and meet the growing needs of our community."
The reach of the partnership is the broadest of any relationship between a YMCA and a health care provider because it will include multiple locations and programs, Boyd told the Gazette. Penrose-St. Francis plans to collaborate with the Y on programs and services at co-located facilities with services that may include chronic disease management, screenings, motivational coaching and other programs, according to the announcement.
"We are excited to become the health care system partner of the Y," Penrose-St. Francis Health Services President and CEO Margaret Sabin said in the announcement. "The Tri-Lakes Health Pavilion in Monument opened earlier this year and embodies the structure and spirit that both Penrose-St. Francis and the Y wish to extend throughout the Pikes Peak Region."
The 50,000-square-foot Tri-Lakes Health Pavilion opened in January and is billed as the first-of-its kind facility in Colorado. The Pavilion integrates advanced, individualized exercise and fitness programs, pediatric medicine, adult primary care, family nutrition, orthopedic medicine, radiology, urgent care and occupational therapy. The facility was developed by a partnership between The YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region; Centura Health, Englewood, Colorado; and the Boldt Company, Appleton, Wisconsin.
The YMCA, Centura Health and all providers in the Pavilion share a common atrium entry with a concierge desk, café and child care services. The YMCA's Healthy Living Center features a RealRyder indoor cycling studio; Precor treadmills, ellipticals and adaptive motion trainers; Preva fitness tracking; and group exercise training opportunities. Other wellness services provided by the YMCA include youth development programs, social responsibility programs, medically supervised fitness, weight management and healthy home environment support.
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services is a 522-bed acute care facility based in Colorado Springs and is part of the Centura Health network. It includes the Penrose Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center. The YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region includes eight Y family centers, four aquatic centers, three metro district recreation centers, 15 before-and-after school sites and Camp Shady Brook in Deckers, Colorado.