August 3, 1998

When The Community Hospital's new $14 million health and fitness facility opens this fall in Munster, it will offer more than just toned muscles and improved aerobic fitness. Individuals joining Fitness Pointe, which has just begun offering memberships, will be introduced to a whole new concept in health and fitness, one which combines a health club with cardiac and physical therapy rehabilitation and community education.

"Our medically based health concept differentiates us from other fitness facilities," said Roger Vogie, director of Fitness Pointe. "When people join Fitness Pointe they won't need to guess how much they should do or how they should do it. We'll offer a higher level of guidance and screening more focused toward individual abilities and limitations. Members will receive individual guidelines on what they need to improve their health."

Open to the public, Fitness Pointe will feature facilities for general fitness, as well as offering services designed to meet the unique medical needs of patients who require cardiac rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy.

A general membership to Fitness Pointe will entitle individuals to have full use of the facility, including aerobics, state-of-the-art exercise and weight machines, two pools, multi-sport gymnasium, walking and running track. Specialty classes such as rowing, trekking, spinning, and healthy cooking classes will be offered in a demonstration kitchen. A variety of wellness classes and programs are also included in the general membership. Additional services incorporated within Fitness Pointe will be a day spa, cafe, pro shop and child care playroom.

Specialists at Fitness Pointe are dedicated to preserving the goals of The Community Hospital to assist the community in maintaining optimum health and quality of life, Vogie said. Fitness Pointe links individuals with valuable support and education provided by degreed and credentialed Community Hospital employees, he added.

With separate facilities available within the center for cardiac rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy, Fitness Pointe is able to meet a wide variety of highly specialized needs for health improvement.

"We are very excited about the opening of Fitness Pointe because of the opportunities to reach out to individuals who need a level of personalized and professional support and programming that isn't available elsewhere," said John Gorski, Division Director of Ancillary Services.

The opening of the fitness facility will enable the hospital to offer a full continuum of care by giving individuals access to preventive health care and early medical intervention throughout their lives, Gorski said.

A 1995 Community Health Assessment showed that the population served by Community Hospital is at an exceptionally high risk for developing heart disease due primarily to modifiable health risk behaviors that include obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all of which exceed national averages.

"The real measure of our success as a healthcare institution will be to enhance the quality of life in our community through prevention and wellness," Gorksi said.