By Meg Peters
Review Staff Writer
??’On’April 11’the first programming event will be held at the Orion Center’s Wellness Center via Beaumont Hospital called Living a Wellness Lifestyle.
??’These are only the first of many programs and events to be put on by the Beaumont medical team, made possible from the formal partnership between Orion Township and Beaumont Hospital which was approved Monday’night at the board meeting.??
??’The class will promote all sorts of wellness lifestyles, and last an hour beginning at 10 a.m. The next class will be’April 25, topic to be announced.
??’Orion Trustees chose to partner with Beaumont over St. Joseph Mercy Oakland and Crittenton Hospital Medical Center, which all had excellent proposals to utilize the Orion Wellness Center, Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett said.
???’But we felt there was a better fit with Beaumont, they had some really unique programing, and after talking with our seniors we found that the majority of them have a Beaumont doctor,? Barnett said.
Joan Phillips, MSN RN NP ACNS-BC Vice President of Clinical Support Services at Beaumont Troy said Beaumont would make about a $35,000 investment into the new wellness program the first year of partnering with Orion Township.
??’This will include staffing, equipment, and funding for the LED signage placed at 1335 Joslyn Road where the Orion Center is located.
??’While none of the three initial proposals included revenue sharing agreements with Orion Township the first year of partnering, Barnett and Phillips both agreed they would sit down after the first year to explore possible revenue options for the township.??
???’After they look at the number of referrals they get with the educational opportunities they are offering and how much their business is growing, we would look at the possibility of revenue sharing,? Barnett said. They are more excited, Barnett said, to be able to offer an extensive wellness program for community use at no start-up cost for the township.
??’Revenue sharing could be in the form of Beaumont paying a rental fee for the wellness center, or sharing of profits from some of the educational classes that will be offered, Phillips added.
??’Barnett said he believes Orion will see a bump in revenue generated at the Orion Center over the next year from the additional people coming into the building who might become interested in renting out different rooms or signing up for classes requiring a small fee, like some of the dance classes offered.
‘My goal for the Orion Center is that it is 100 percent self-sustaining, and to think of it more from a business perspective than government minded,? he said.
??’Last year the township subsidized approximately $450,000 to keep the programming at the Orion Center going. The township’s goal is to focus on the more successful resources, programming, and recreational activities the Orion Center offers, Barnett said, those that the Orion community values and uses the most.
??’Which could be any of the new programming Beaumont will offer.
Phillips said Beaumont is going to integrate their health and wellness programs mainly for seniors, while also including programming based on women and children. Classes will include screenings for disease, educational prevention and community education, and multiple assessments including heart/brain health, blood pressure screening, heart and blood pressure medication education, heart attack and stroke education, healthy living, obesity/diabetes education, just to name a few.
??’Programming will also include a variety of topics for women’s? health including childbirth education, baby care and safety, menopause, bone density testing, and different pediatric education like parenting and babysitting classes promoting social interaction.
??’Students from the Lake Orion School district will also benefit from an on-site athletic trainer, quick and easy physicals and sports medicine programs. Bullying programs, suicide prevention and other social education classes will be offered too.
??’Experts will be available three days a week to start off and Beaumont will make adjustments to class types, programming and hours where they see the most interest.
Beaumont also partners with the Oakland University School of Medicine, and Phillips said she has already spoken with the director of undergraduate studies to include medical students in some of the programming.
??’Beaumont also will partner with Orion Neighborhood Television (ONTV), the local government access news station, which occupies approximately 17 percent of the Orion Center.
???’We want to be able to provide T.V. wellness programming for home-bound residents,? Phillips said.
??’Beaumont is already established in the Orion community at the Beaumont Medical Center at 1455 S. Lapeer Road, which proposes another opportunity for community residents to obtain medical treatment, Phillips said, since the Wellness Center can send referrals to their Orion medical facility as well.
???’We are always looking to expand north and north east, those are the areas of big growth right now,? Phillips said. Beaumont’s goal is to not only generate more patients in their own medical business, but to expand programming to residents farther north who are not as able to drive to the Troy hospital location.