DES MOINES, Iowa ­— Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines and YMCA of Greater Des Moines jointly announced today they have agreed to end their partnership of the YMCA Healthy Living Center, a fitness and wellness facility located at the Mercy Wellness Campus in Clive, Iowa. The Joint Operating Agreement, established in 2009, under which the YMCA operated the facility, will be dissolved, bringing management of the facility solely to Mercy.

“Over the past seven years, the health care industry has changed dramatically, which is why we desire a more integrated and medically focused program that provides extended care and wellness services for our patients. This change at the Healthy Living Center offers the opportunity for this,” said Robert Ritz, president and CEO of Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines. “We are proud of our shared accomplishments with the YMCA and the fitness and wellness services we have provided together.”

Effective April 1, Mercy will assume full responsibility for operating the 65,000-square-foot Healthy Living Center. Mercy and the YMCA will work together over the next two months to facilitate a successful transition for members and employees. Ongoing information and details on the transition will be provided as the process evolves.

“The Y is dedicated to the mission of strengthening our community by helping people become healthier in spirit, mind and body,” said Dave Schwartz, CEO of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines. “We are very proud of the work we’ve done with Mercy over the past seven years. As we evaluated the needs of our members and the community, we feel it is important to reallocate our resources so we can expand programs and services. With eight branch locations, we are well-positioned to continue delivering the Y’s healthy living programs throughout the community.”

Mercy intends to make operational changes at the Healthy Living Center to more closely connect the medically integrated fitness and wellness facility to medical experts and clinical services, with a greater focus on disease prevention and health promotion through physician involvement, all of which are a part of Mercy’s ongoing commitment to improving community health.

Chicago-based Power Wellness, a company specializing in providing operations management services customized for medically integrated fitness and wellness centers, has been selected as the new management partner for the Clive fitness facility. Power Wellness currently operates over 30 specialized fitness centers throughout the United States and one center in Japan, employing more than 2,200 team members and serving over 100,000 members.

“Our goal is to achieve the Center’s full potential in programming, membership growth and operational success,” said Mercy Chief Operating Officer and Market Senior Vice President Michael Wegner. “We look forward to making improvements to the facility and adding new services and programming as part of our commitment to improving the health of the community.”

The two-story fitness facility includes: Mercy Weight Loss and Nutrition Center; 15,000-square-foot strength training area; one-tenth-mile running track; four-lane lap pool; water exercise pool; therapy pool with underwater treadmill and cameras with portable wheelchair lift; cycling studio; private changing areas; lounge areas; Pilates and fitness rooms; massage and therapy rooms; child watch nursery services area; and demonstration kitchen and meeting rooms.

The Healthy Living Center is located on the 24-acre campus of the Mercy Wellness Campus on University Avenue in Clive, Iowa. The campus includes the Mercy Cancer Center, Mercy Sleep Center and multiple multispecialty medical office buildings.

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About Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines

Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1893, Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines is the longest continually-operating hospital in Des Moines and is also one of the largest employers in the state – with about 7,000 employees and a medical staff of more than 1,000 physicians and allied health associates. Mercy operates four not-for-profit Catholic hospital campuses, with a total of 875 beds, along with more than 20 additional facilities that house more than 50 primary care, pediatric, internal medicine and specialty clinics. Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines is a member of Mercy Health Network and is a part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a national nonprofit health organization with headquarters in Englewood, Colo. The faith-based system operates in 19 states and includes 105 hospitals and multiple other facilities and services. For more information, visit www.mercydesmoines.org.

About YMCA of Greater Des Moines

The YMCA of Greater Des Moines is a powerful association of men, women and children of all ages and from all walks of life united by a shared passion: to strengthen the foundations of community. We serve over 100,000 citizens from communities throughout central Iowa and operate nine full-facility YMCAs, the YMCA Supportive Housing Campus in downtown Des Moines and Y Camp in Boone. For 149 years, the Y has been the community’s leading nonprofit organization focused on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Find out more at www.dmymca.org.