By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

Lowndes County residents will soon have access to help in Hayneville with taking charge of their health.

A groundbreaking ceremony for a new Hayneville Wellness Center (HWC) was held next to town hall on Wednesday, Jan. 23.

“I am thrilled HIS (Health Services Inc.) is able to provide another venue for area residents to engage in activities that improve health and happiness,” C. Bernell Mapp, CEO for HSI said.

“We hope this can be the first step in raising community awareness that people can take charge of their health and not be burdened unnecessarily with certain chronic diseases,” he said.

Mapp explained that HWC is part of a larger project that involves investment firms and the New Market Federal Tax Credit federal program (NMTC).

He said NMTC allows certain entities with qualifying projects to use their resources to partner with investment firms to generate capital and tax credits, which provide financing and favorable mortgages for a proposed project.

“Health Services Inc. two years ago embarked on a NMTC project that was finalized September 2012 for construction of The River Region Wellness Center in Montgomery and the HWC,” Mapp said.

Mapp said the mission of Health Services Inc. is to create primary care and “preventative health services.” He said the Wellness Centers provide the community the opportunity to learn how to take care of their health in order to experience a better quality of life

“Providing a place where residents can participate in wellness classes, receive nutritional counseling, a weight loss program, access to exercise equipment and a support system that encourages healthy lifestyles is what HWC is all about,” Mapp said.

Hayneville Mayor Kelvin J. Lawrence called the new Wellness Center to be constructed “a partnership” between Health Services Inc. and the town of Hayneville.

“The town of Hayneville donated the property,” he said. And he said Health Services Inc. found investors.

“The Wellness Center will provided education and fitness,” Lawrence said.

He said a person struggling with diabetes who is overweight would be diagnosed at the Family Health Center in Hayneville, but new Wellness Center being constructed in Hayneville would formulate a plan to help this person lose weight.

The Family Health Center is owned by Health Services Inc. (HSI) and was funded by $924,500 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act/Health Resources and Services Administration funds and $101,500 in local funding, according to HSI.