HASTINGS — A healthier Hastings is the ultimate goal of a $1 million pledge from Mary Lanning Healthcare to the Hastings YMCA.
Eric Barber, MLH President & CEO, said the two non-profit organizations are working together to kick off a building project that will benefit the entire Hastings community and include a pool where MLH will offer aquatic therapy.
“This pledge fits squarely into the MLH mission statement, which addresses the need to make Hastings healthier,” Barber said. “It also fulfills our need as a non-profit organization to provide benefits directly to the community we serve.”
“It makes sense for us to help the YMCA become stronger because we share the same end goal. The benefits of this collaboration will be realized by all of us in the Hastings area.”
Jeff S. Anderson, MLH Board of Trustees Chairman, said the $1 million MLH pledge was made possible and will be funded by the Mary Lanning Trust.
The MLH Rehabilitation departments will provide services at the therapy pool with oversight from the YMCA. A timeline for construction has not yet been released.
The therapy pool, which will be located adjacent to the current YMCA swimming, is a much-needed addition to MLH rehabilitation, according to MLH physical therapy staff. The MLH therapy programs will directly benefit from the ability to offer aquatic therapy services.
The therapy pool benefits our adult and pediatric rehabilitation patients, the staff stated. The buoyancy property of water helps to support the weight of the patient, reducing weight bearing and stress on the joints, which in turn reduces pain.
The viscosity of the water adds resistance, aiding in strengthening and body awareness activities, and paired with the buoyancy for the reduction of stress on the joints, patients can participate in weight bearing and strengthening activities that outside of the water would be too painful.
The YMCA is the best location for the therapy pool, Barber said, considering that the MLH campus and its outlying clinics are already at capacity. Also, the cost of building an entirely new structure would have been much higher had MLH not partnered with the YMCA.
Barber said it makes sense for MLH and the YMCA to team up in a positive way. MLH recognizes the importance of a strong YMCA in the community, Barber said. Other locally owned hospitals in Nebraska have partnered with their YMCAs in a similar way.
“Our work with the YMCA demonstrates our commitment to excellent preventative and restorative care in the Hastings area,” Barber said.