LAKEPORT — The Sutter Lakeside Wellness Center, which provides residents a place to stay in shape but was ultimately considered to shift away from Sutter Lakeside Hospital”s main focus, is closing its doors next month.
Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation (SPMF), which runs the center at a building owned by Sutter Lakeside Hospital, decided to close the center as of Nov. 30.
“They decided to close it because their main focus is to provide us with physicians, not running a gym,” Southwick said.
The wellness center opened during a time when there was a great push for preventive medicine, Southwick said, but as time went on, the center began turning into more of a gym than a wellness center.
According to its website, the center provides certified personal training and nutritional consulting, services that may not be offered after the center closes. It also has a fitness area equipped with free weights and strength-building machines as well as cardio equipment.
Southwick added that for the Sutter Lakeside Hospital administration to take over the Wellness Center after it was dropped by the SPMF would not have been fiscally responsible.
“We have to take care of our patients,” Southwick said, “that”s what our budget is for.”
SPMF recently sent letters to the roughly 450 members informing them of the closure, Southwick said. Members will be reimbursed for any membership dues that extend beyond November 30.
Sutter Lakeside Rehabilitation Services, which is currently based at the main hospital, will be moving into the building currently serving as the wellness center. The new location will be fairly closer to the Mobility Park, an open area with pathways made up of different surfaces designed to help people rehabilitating perform different exercises.
After the closure, the hospital will keep the equipment from the wellness center and will use it for the rehabilitation patients, Southwick said. Hospital staff will also have access to the equipment.
Rehabilitation services will continue to offer some programs formerly offered by the Wellness Center, Southwick said, including the Arthritis Foundation Exercise class, and a Balance Class.
According to its website, the center currently offers more than 30 programs.
Across from the center, at the edge of the Mobility Park, stands the Healing House, where many integrative medicine practitioners offers programs to community members, will also be closed. It is still unclear what the house will be used for after the center closes.
Services at the house included acupuncture, acupressure, massage, meditation and hypnotherapy, most of which will not be offered at the rehabilitation center. Many of the practitioners have moved to a new location on Main Street, Southwick said.
Isaac Brambila is an associate editor for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636 ext. 37 or at ibrambila@record-bee.com.
