Officials hailed Friday’s dedication of the new James C. Kennedy Wellness Center in Charleston as a potential “catalyst for positive change” in a county whose residents are some of the unhealthiest in Mississippi.
According to a 2012 report on health standings, Tallahatchie ranked near the bottom — in fact, next to last — among the state’s 82 counties in the incidence of obesity, teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, diabetes and heart disease.
“Everyone in this room knows that chronic diseases are prevalent in this part of the country,” said Jim Blackwood, chief executive officer of Tallahatchie General Hospital (TGH), on whose campus the 20,000-square-foot facility is located.
“We are now, with the resources that are available here, postured to do something proactive about it,” he added. “If we can do something to knock a dent, in a statistically measurable way, in the incidence of chronic disease in Tallahatchie County, then you can do that anywhere in the country.”
Blackwood’s comments came during an 11:30 a.m. invitation-only event attended by over 200 local government officials, members of the business community and medical staff, hospital and Wellness Center employees and volunteers, and other guests, including actor Morgan Freeman.
Also present were members of the TGH Board of Trustees and the Tallahatchie County Medical Foundation, which owns and operates the center that is situated at the base of a hill behind the hospital, on land that up until a few years ago was used to grow cotton.
Built with a more than $4 million donation from James C. Kennedy, the Wellness Center features an indoor walking track and an extensive array of fitness equipment — including cardio and weight machines and free weights.
The center offers special programming such as health education, healthy cooking classes and demonstrations served up in an on-site kitchen, an after-school youth program and more.
The building also houses the TGH outpatient physical and occupational therapy departments and an outpatient geriatric behavioral health program.
The offerings are tied together by certified personnel, including a personal trainer, registered dietician and nutritionist, a health education specialist, health coach and counselor and a registered nurse.
“What we have here is not just a building,” Blackwood continued. “It’s not just a gym. Truthfully, it’s not just a gym with programs. ... As we dedicate this building today, I submit to you that what we have is a catalyst for positive change in this community. The implications for that go far beyond health.”
Blackwood said Wellness Center Executive Director Catherine Woodyard and others have put together a varied educational program.
“It really is remarkable what is in store,” he noted. “There are a lot of educational things that you immediately go to when you think about diet and exercise, but there is a lot of information that I personally wouldn’t necessarily think about: things like how to shop at the grocery store and to make healthy decisions at the grocery store. How to manage stress.
“Some of the programming ties directly into providing opportunities for people who want to improve themselves, such as how to make out a resume and how to apply for a job,” Blackwood continued. “These are all things that we have in store for us here and are great value adds.”
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Jim Kennedy of Atlanta, whose foundation donated the funds for the center, was on hand to share in the celebration of its grand opening.
The chairman of Cox Enterprises, a media and automotive parts giant, Kennedy owns a large duck-hunting lodge in Tallahatchie County and has extensive property holdings here.
“In January, there’s no place that I more love to be than in Tallahatchie County, and as I look at this wonderful facility I realize that God moves in very peculiar ways,” Kennedy began his remarks during the program.
“Ducks. That’s what I said. Ducks are the reason this facility exists,” he said, to an outburst of laughter.
Kennedy explained how duck hunting first lured him to the Mississippi Delta 35 years ago, eventually leading him to Tallahatchie County, where he has become a seasonal part-time resident.
“I love the time I’m able to spend here. I love the waterfowl and the earth here. I love spending resources to make it better,” said Kennedy, an internationally noted conservationist and philanthropist. “And I began to think, what about the people of this area? I mean, enough about the ducks; what about the people?”
Kennedy said he began to inquire about some way that he could help to make a meaningful, positive impact on the lives of local residents.
“Living in a rural environment has some great benefits, but it also has some drawbacks,” he acknowledged. “You just don’t have the opportunities you have in a major metropolitan area, so when someone came to me about the idea of a wellness center, this was right in my sweet spot.”
Kennedy and the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi financed a 2012 community health needs assessment in Tallahatchie County that was conducted by Woodyard, then a doctoral student at the University of Mississippi.
One of the findings of that study was the need for a local center to provide health education and fitness opportunities and resources.
The findings became the basis for a grant proposal written by Blackwood and Woodyard, leading to the eventual Kennedy funding.
“Now as I tour and see the wonderful opportunities there are here for people to learn more about living a healthy life, I’m delighted that my name is on the door,” Kennedy said, then issuing a challenge.
“Now, the responsibility is all yours. You have this great facility, you have this great staff, you have the programs. Now it’s your responsibility to make sure that this is utilized by you, by your friends,” Kennedy continued. “None of us is in as good a shape as we should be — God knows, I’m not — and now it’s up to all of us to make sure that we use this to live better, healthier and, therefore, happier lives. I hope this is a stimulus for change and improvement in this county.”
He added, “I can’t wait to come back in a couple of years and get a report on how much good you’ve done here at this terrific facility.”
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Woodyard and a colleague applied to the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, securing $550,000 over three years through the Rural Health Care Services Outreach Grant Program. That money will finance most of the center’s programming and outreach efforts for the foreseeable future.
Near the Wellness Center is a KaBOOM! community playground surrounded by the “Path to Wellness,” an outdoor walking and bicycle track designed and built in conjunction with the PATH Foundation of Atlanta, on whose board Kennedy serves.
Kennedy donated funds for the path, which features educational signage on wildlife, conservation and wellness, while the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation contributed a large sum to finish a public fund-raising drive for the $150,000 playground.
The playground and walking/bicycling path are available free to the public, as is the vast majority of educational programming offered at the Wellness Center.
The Wellness Center’s gym and certain other amenities, including on-site lockers and showers, do carry an associated membership fee, ranging from $20 per month for senior citizens to $30 monthly for an individual. Guests may sample the center’s offerings for $5 per day or $10 for a full week.
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Woodyard said the Wellness Center and all of its many related assets — including the nearby “Wellness Garden,” in which are grown fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables for local purchase — can help to provide a means to an end.
“Through this facility, and through our programming, we will provide the tools and resources necessary for everyone to become involved and to begin their journey toward optimal wellness,” she noted. “It is our hope that everyone ... can find something here just for them.”
Woodyard added, “The choices that we make are shaped by the choices that we have, and we, together, are bringing new choices to Tallahatchie County.”
The center conducted open house for the general public Friday afternoon. Both events featured tours of the facility.
To learn more about the Wellness Center, drop by the facility, located at 1 Honeysuckle Dr., during operating hours of 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Friday or 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday, call the center at 662-625-7215 or email Woodyard at cwoodyard@mytgh.com.
IN THE PHOTO: From left, Tallahatchie General Hospital CEO Jim Blackwood, benefactor James C. (Jim) Kennedy and Wellness Center Executive Director Catherine Woodyard are pictured on stage during the Jan. 15 dedication ceremony of the Wellness Center in Charleston. (Photo by Clay McFerrin)
