Marie Prejeant
August 24, 2017
UPDATED: Louisiana impacts possible with Harvey
August 24, 2017
The folks over at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center obviously had high expectations and big plans for their Wellness Center.
If not, they wouldn’t have invested in it so heavily.
But now that the facility is up and running, even folks with the hospital are stunned at how well things are going.
TRMC changed the landscape for local medicine late last year when they opened the doors on the 242,000-square-foot facility, which carried a price tag of more than $70 million to complete.
Now nearing its one-year anniversary, TRMC President and CEO Greg Stock said things are going beautifully for the facility.
“The Wellness Center has exceeded just about everyone’s expectations,” Stock said. “It’s been everything we hoped it’d be for the community and much more. We’re just seeing some amazing things happen through the Wellness Center and people now are able to have a better outlook on life because of it.”
The numbers don’t lie. People are buying in.
Stock said when the facility was being built, TRMC did some research to gauge how many members to expect in the early going.
“Consultants projected us at 1,400 people joining on the front-end, based on travel time and distance,” Stock said.
Since opening, TRMC blew that number out of the water and has nearly quadrupled it.
“Today, 5,400 members are realizing the benefits of our center daily,” Stock said. “We thought that 1,400 member figure we were given was actually a conservative figure. But when we saw that between 5 and 6 thousand people joined in, we were thrilled – as thrilled as we could be.”
The facility has just about everything – which is likely why it’s generated such a strong following.
It’s the first of its kind in the state and it features state-of-the-art technology in both its devices used for members and also its energy-efficient design.
The center has multiple specialty centers, such as an Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center, a spine center and a neurosciences center.
On the campus of the facility is a basketball gym, weight equipment, pools, a track and other things designed to keep locals fit.
Louisiana State Representative Garret Graves said at the grand opening event last year that it was one of the more impressive medical facilities he’s seen.
“This right here, in Thibodaux, Louisiana, is shifting the paradigm,” Graves said. “It’s flipping it over, flipping the model over. This is reducing healthcare costs. This is helping longevity of our lives and enjoyment of our lives.”
Since the facility has opened its doors, TRMC has hosted a lot of community events, camps and other events to raise awareness.
Stock said it’s all part of a plan to try and get locals to change how they view medicine and wellness.
The hospital president said the wellness center is a tool which TRMC hopes will make the community healthier and our people free from illness and complications.
Stock said historically, people think of a hospital as a grim place where one goes in times of great sickness or pain.
With the wellness center and other healthy living initiatives, TRMC wants to change that ideology and make locals feel comfortable under their roof.
“We want to be a place where people go so that they’re less likely to get sick,” Stock said. “We have made a shift in prevention and overall healthy living. The best part about this facility are the real-life stories. What’s real impressive is … the people who are coming in to workout and be educated who have never done this before in their lives. Those people are seeing outstanding results. Their blood pressure is going down. They’re getting to get off their medicines. Diabetics are feeling better. They’re seeing their levels drop. It’s just a great thing.”
A plan exists for further growth, as well.
Stock said the hospital has added $600,000 in workout equipment since opening and the hospital will adjust to meet demand as needed in the future.
Stock said Phase II of the wellness center will also begin soon, which he hopes will bring continued success to a project that’s helping locals get better control over their lives.
“We’re finishing the drawings for the Phase II of the playing fields for the tennis courts and the sand volleyball,” Stock said. “With the absence of good tennis courts in our area, we’re going to be able to address that. We can host tournaments, 1-on1 training and really anything if someone wants to play tennis.”
The Wellness Center at Thibodaux Regional Medical Center is exceeding expectations. Open since late 2016, the facility is surpassing expectations in regards to membership numbers.
