Press & News

In a move toward expanding its services, Pomerene Hospital in Millersburg, Ohio, is finalizing a deal to take over a local fitness center. The deal, still in the works, will give the hospital management over Kinetics Fitness for Life, which offers exercise equipment, studio classes, cardio programs, and wellness sessions to nearly 500 members.
According to the newspaper The Daily Record, Pomerene’s chief financial officer, Jason Justus, said during a recent hospital board meeting that managing and running the fitness center would allow the hospital to align its services with reform in the health industry, emphasizing wellness and preventative care. “With the recent passing of the ACA [Affordable Care Act] health reform, one of the changes has been extending care beyond the actual four walls of the hospital,” Justus said. “That’s the natural evolution in wellness, and this step will help us model that change.”
Eric Willin, COO of EZFacility, a fitness center management software developer in Woodbury, New York, said the move promised to be advantageous for all parties involved. “We have seen more and more gyms, health clubs, fitness centers, and sports facilities partnering with other kinds of institutions and businesses to deliver wellness to communities. Pomerene Hospital’s decision to manage Kinetics Fitness for Life could help bring prevention to the forefront of people’s attention, and it will be exciting to see how this partnership develops.”
The owner of Kinetics, Staush Cass, reportedly approached the hospital, saying he was seeking a community collaborator. Cass said in a statement issued by the hospital that he believes the transition will benefit the center’s current members as well as the wider community. As the agreement is still under negotiation, no decisions have yet been made regarding the details of running Kinetics, according to a the statement.