For Hub City Times

MARSHFIELD — The Marshfield Area YMCA and Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) today announced a partnership that will help transform the way prevention-based health, wellness, and family-service programs are delivered to Marshfield and area communities.

This is a first-of-its-kind partnership for MCHS and the YMCA. Through this partnership, MCHS is supporting a major capital campaign to expand and improve the YMCA, and the facility will be renamed the Marshfield Clinic Health System YMCA.

“Marshfield has been home to Marshfield Clinic for 100 years, and we’ve been thinking for some time about how to celebrate, plan for, and mark this significant milestone in our hometown,” said Dr. Susan Turney, MCHS CEO. “We’ve dedicated time to identify priority projects where MCHS can really make a difference. We were so fortunate to have YMCA leadership identify this opportunity to help area residents, many of them our patients, with such an innovative way to integrate our missions.”

Also this year, the YMCA is celebrating 30 years of service to the Marshfield area, and according to Bill Sennholz, YMCA board chair, “This partnership gives us the chance to honor both milestones with an incredible initiative that will make a significant difference for the health and wellbeing of our community for many, many years to come. It will leverage the reach and capabilities of our two trusted organizations to bring unparalleled services and programming to the people of central Wisconsin. It will spur economic development, helping businesses recruit and retain employees by providing an attractive community asset. The Y’s expanded and updated facility, certified instructors, and staff will also help meet MCHS goals for accountable care, and we expect it will spur additional community collaborations.”

“Our two organizations will be brought into an even closer, ongoing working relationship, helping our friends and neighbors reduce their risk for chronic disease,” said Dr. Narayana Murali, Marshfield Clinic executive director. “As the partnership evolves, it will provide an integrated approach beyond our walls for people seeking to improve their health and wellness. This will allow for an easy transition from medically-supervised rehabilitation to ongoing exercise programs.”

Programming will include onsite health screenings, risk assessments, education classes, nutritional counseling, and other health, wellness, and prevention-based services.

“These programs,” Murali said, “will help people make informed, proactive choices about their health. We’ll be able to extend the continuum of care for our patients after they leave the health system by connecting them with programs and services that will help them continue to improve their health. These new and innovative programs will have a long-lasting impact on the health of people for generations to come.”

The partnership builds on a longstanding relationship between two organizations. MCHS has supported the Y’s annual sustaining campaign for many years, and the organizations collaborate on several ongoing wellness programs. Many Marshfield Clinic physicians and staff, along with their families, have served as donors, members, volunteers, and directors throughout the Y’s history in Marshfield.

“The Marshfield Clinic Health System YMCA is a destination where people can learn, plan, and take action to improve their health,” said YMCA CEO John Nystrom. “Staff of both organizations will combine efforts, and with a shared vision for better community health, this collaboration can be limitless.

“Across the country and here in our state, YMCAs and health care providers have a proven track record of sharing resources, core competencies, and distinct strengths to have a significant impact on the health of the entire community. This is a win-win.”

The organizations plan to address a spectrum of health and wellness issues, including youth obesity and chronic disease like diabetes, through care and prevention as well as offer cancer survivor wellness services, outpatient therapy and rehab, health education, nutrition counseling, pain management, weight management, sports medicine, sports enhancement, health screenings, employee/corporate wellness programs, behavioral health services, immunizations, back-to-school wellness checks, and preventive care services.

“This is a true partnership,” Nystrom said. “Together, we plan to ensure all people we serve have access to the range of programs and services that improve people’s health and curb the spread of chronic disease through preventive health efforts.”

As part of the initiative, MCHS and the YMCA will create a joint operating council to include representatives from each organization who will develop strategies to maximize effectiveness of the partnership, expand future programming, and measure outcomes.