Albany apartment complex first in region to offer wellness program for residents

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By Alan Mauldin
alan.mauldin

@albanyherald.com

ALBANY — Children danced in water spraying from a giant inflatable fire hydrant sprinkler, had their faces painted by cheerleaders from Westover High School and munched down on hamburgers and hot dogs during a fun day at an Albany apartment complex Thursday.

But the experience was more than just a celebration of summer at the Woodlands on Gillionville Road. A crew of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital personnel who arrived in a mobile wellness unit were on hand to check blood pressure and spread health awareness.

So maybe a healthy tenant is a happier tenant for complex owner Investors Management Company of Valdosta, which also has a wellness center located in the community center that resembles a doctor’s examination room.

Phoebe will make monthly visits to do wellness checks for residents using the facility.

“This is the first,” Nancy Collingwood, IMC’s senior regional manager, said of the health initiative in Albany. “It’s a healthy housing initiative we’re offering to our tenants. We’ll have a nurse on site to do screenings. We’re hoping to be able to reach our tenants and make them aware of all kinds of medical screenings.”

The event at the two-year old 80-unit complex of one- to three-bedroom apartments was planned for earlier in the year, but the date was pushed back due to COVID-19.

“I love the turnout,” Collingwood said. “We had a really great turnout.”

The company plans to extend the health initiative to three additional locations in Blairsville, Fort Valley and Milledgeville.

Phoebe provides wellness services at public housing in Dougherty, Worth and several surrounding counties, but this is the first time a privately-owned housing development has launched such an initiative, Will Peterson, vice president of operations for the Phoebe Physicians Group, said.

“For Phoebe, this makes us able to provide access to care within concentrated populations,” he said.

“For us to be able to bring these services on site is a collaboration that helps the tenants gain access to care they might not otherwise be able to access.

“This is a very real and exciting development that we would like to see other institutional housing (managers) do to break down barriers to care across many communities in southwest Georgia.”

In addition to performing the screenings, Phoebe will steer individuals who need care to providers and resources. While there is a cost to providing the services, there also is a benefit.

“There is a minimal cost, (but) every dollar spent is a valuable investment,” Peterson said. “For us, it’s not just about having that expense but getting further upstream in our preventative measures.”

Anyone interested in establishing a similar program can do so by visiting Phoebe’s website or contacting Peterson at [email protected].

Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]
Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]