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Build it, and they will come:

New Wellness Center team excited over community response

The Rehab & Wellness Center’s wellness team, pictured here in the facility’s free weight room, consists of personal trainer Carl Gumby Jr., CFT; Wellness Coordinator Dan Newhoff; and attendant Tim Aanenson.

When the Box Butte General Hospital (BBGH) Administration Team and Trustees decided to go ahead with renovating The Rehab & Wellness Center, they did so to meet the hospital’s mission to lead and innovate in healthcare delivery and community wellness. Little did they know how strong the response from the community would be, especially with the new wellness center and its state-of-the-art equipment.

“The hospital has long been an advocate for wellness with the communities we serve,” said Mr. Newhoff. “But we were really limited in what we could offer as far as fitness opportunities in our old, smaller space. The expansion allowed us to offer services that we’ve never been able to do before. We now have one-on-one consultations for people who may not want a personal trainer, but want advice on what level of exercise they should start with and what exercises they should do to meet their personal goals. We also now offer personal training and have partnered with the YMCA in offering fitness classes throughout the week. The classes include Step Fusion on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; Yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays; and Silversneakers for our older population on Wednesdays.”

Mr. Newhoff said the large jump in membership since the new wellness center opened in February was surprising. “Our employee and public membership has grown from around 100 previous to the opening, to over 385 since reopening,” he said. “That is a very strong indication that there has been a real need for this kind of facility within the community.”

Certified Fitness Trainer (CFT) Carl Gumby Jr. and Attendant Tim Aanenson started working at BBGH in late February when the final touches were being done on the wellness center renovation. “When we hired Carl we figured he’d be able to man the front desk half the time, with the rest of his time focused on personal training duties,” Mr. Newhoff said. “We weren’t even close in that prediction.”

“That’s the truth,” Mr. Gumby said. “As a team, we’ve pretty much hit the ground running from the first day we opened. Since then I barely have time in my day to sit at the desk … and to be frank, I like it like that. My role on this team is providing general services such as orientation and consultations, like Dan and Tim do. But my specialty is personal training. I’ve been doing this as a second job for 20 years, with the last four devoted to just personal training; both as a private trainer and for other organizations. I’m an International Sports Sciences Association Certified Fitness Trainer and anyone who is a client of mine knows I love what I do.” He provides personal training at different levels, ranging from eight 45 minute sessions over four weeks to 24 sessions over 8 weeks. “I love to motivate people,” he said, “showing them a wide variety of stretching exercises and utilizing just about every exercise machine we have, including our free weight room. Mixing it up is great way to reach personal fitness goals; it keeps it interesting as well.”

Mr. Aanenson also conducts orientation and consultations for members. “I’m the ‘do-whatever-is-needed’ guy,” he said with a smile. “I make sure the Center is clean for our clients, and anything else that’s needed. I still have two years to go for my college degree, so I’m working only part time here at the Center.” Mr. Newhoff said they’ve decided to hire Mr. Aanenson over the summer as an intern as well. “That way the real world experience he’s gaining as our attendant will also be counted as part of his education at CSC,” he said.

“That’s something I am really appreciative about concerning this job,” Mr. Aanenson added. “I have an interest in this area and the experience I’m gaining is invaluable. Like Carl said, this is kind of like being on the ground floor of a startup. I’m seeing the growing pains and all the adjustments that we’ve had to make to fine-tune our operations. I like what Dan does; all the planning and administrative aspects of his job. I plan to get a degree in Sports Management with an emphasis on Exercise Science, and working here is helping me reach that goal.”

All three are enthusiastic about the wide range of individuals they see becoming members of the Wellness Center. “Our clients make our day,” said Mr. Gumby. “We have a wide variety of people who come in every week, from the young and fit to older people. When I say older people, I mean people in their 80s and higher. I love seeing that!”

Mr. Newhoff added,” That’s what really has me excited about our new facility. I look out at these people and I think about how they wouldn’t be doing what they’re doing to improve their health if we hadn’t expanded and renovated our Rehab & Wellness Center. And here they are, working out week in and week out. When you’re a Wellness Coordinator, that’s a beautiful thing to see.”

The Wellness Center offers a wide variety of equipment, including machines for cardiovascular health; resistance machines (including state-of-the-art Nautilus equipment); and free weights. There is also a wide variety of membership rates that fit most people’s budget for both single memberships and family packages.  More information can be obtained by calling 308.761.3372.

Box Butte General Hospital is an equal opportunity provider and employer.