Streator, IL,
26
May
2017
|
13:54 PM
America/Chicago

Streator YMCA and OSF HealthCare Collaboration Announced

Health System Provides $1M Grant to Catapult Health and Wellness Initiatives

Streator’s YMCA joined OSF HealthCare on Friday, May 26 to announce a $1,000,000 contribution from OSF HealthCare in support of programs that impact health and wellness of the communities the YMCA serves.

When the change of ownership from HSHS to OSF HealthCare was announced in late 2015, OSF HealthCare pledged to keep money raised by the Friends of St. Mary's local to the community. Now that the dust has settled from that transition, the health system is honoring its commitment. 

The funds will be used to finance a building expansion and to increase health and wellness programming for all ages.

"As we know, where we are going with health care, we can't do it all as a health care system, so we need community partners to work together to really start to address the wellness and the healthiness of a community and not just the illness and injuries," said Ken Beutke, President, OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center.

 

download
Ken Beutke-

A collaborative committee with diverse representation and understanding of community health needs will be formed to help make specific recommendations.

The Streator YMCA serves over 9,000 people annually through memberships, scholarships, programming, and services. Residents of communities as far as 20 miles away take advantage of health and wellness offerings, and current membership is at an all-time high with 2,400 enrollments.

Josh Biros, Executive Director, Streator Family YMCA says the partnership between OSF HealthCare and the YMCA will make a big impact immediately. 

"Reaching out, working with a like-minded community partner and generating better health and wellness for our community, so I can't be more excited about it, and I hope that our community is as well," said Biros.

 

download
Josh Biros

OSF HealthCare’s support of the Streator YMCA is part of a larger, overall initiative to reshape rural health care in America. Last year, OSF HealthCare opened a freestanding emergency center in Streator – the first rural facility in the State of Illinois. This year, the health care system will unveil plans to reshape its Center for Health through a multi-million dollar construction project.