Integrated approach to health opening in Bloomington

BLOOMINGTON — A comprehensive approach to health and wellness is starting under 106,000 square feet on Bloomington’s east side.

The Center for Integrated Wellness will integrate a medically based fitness center, sports performance institute, orthopedic center, imaging center, community education area and physician offices under one roof. The $35 million facility is opening at 1111 Trinity Lane, north of Central Illinois Regional Airport and south of McGraw Park.

“At Advocate, we continue to be very focused on keeping the population healthy…and on individuals living with chronic disease,” Colleen Kannaday, president of Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, said during a tour of the center on Wednesday.

“This center will be an important step for those patients,” Kannaday said.

Partners in the project are Advocate BroMenn, McLean County Orthopedics (MCO), Method Sports Performance and Signet Enterprises.

Construction is complete and nearly all equipment is in place, said Jim Ellis, executive vice president of Integrated Wellness Partners, a Signet Enterprises company.

The center will have a soft opening on Monday for anyone who already is a member, said center Executive Director Catherine Porter. Fees vary depending on the type of membership, she said.

The center will open officially on Sept. 6. Hours will be 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Porter said.

Two hundred people will work in the center, she said.

“This is more than a fitness center,” Ellis said. “This is a comprehensive approach to health and well-being. Now comes the really exciting part — when we can help people to change their lives.”

“Most disease and disability is caused by lifestyle,” Ellis said. “We will take a whole-person approach. It’s only when you address the whole person that you can move the needle on your health and eventually the health of the whole community.”

The center includes Advocate BroMenn Health & Fitness Center, which is 40 pieces of cardiovascular equipment, weight machines, free weights and multi-muscle cable machines, said fitness and wellness manager Molly Smeltzer. Adjoining the exercise center are a lap pool, hot tub and hydrotherapy pool for water therapy, and rooms for community education, cooking demonstrations and health screenings.

“Each member will begin with a comprehensive health assessment and we’ll prescribe an exercise routine,” Smeltzer said.

Method Sports Performance will be a science-based sports performance institute with physician oversight for athletes from age 7 through adulthood, said Dr. Joe Norris, an orthopedic surgeon and Method co-founder. The institute includes a track, cardio and weight training equipment.

“Everything has a purpose,” focusing on strengthening the athlete for performance and decreasing injury risk, said Method Director Chad Coy.

The MCO side will include physician offices, a therapy gym, exam rooms and an open MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine, said MCO CEO Don Stumpp.

MCO will move operations from 2502 E. Empire St. and 2810 E. Empire St., both Bloomington, and from 2005 Jacobssen Drive, Normal, on Aug. 18 and 19 and will open at Center for Integrated Wellness on Aug. 22, Stumpp said.

“The benefit to people will be keeping them active so they can enjoy life,” said Dr. Jerry Oakey, MCO vice president and hand surgeon.

The center has been developed by Akron, Ohio,-based Signet. “No Advocate dollars went into the development of the center,” Kannaday said.

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