FORT CARSON, Colo.-With everything from relaxation therapy to blood pressure treatment and a gym, the Mountain Post Wellness Center can help Soldiers and their Families adopt a healthier lifestyle and build resiliency for future fitness.
"We have many different services. We are all about Soldier and Family readiness, the (Army Force Generation) cycle," said Jerriann Hance, branch chief, Mountain Post Wellness Center. "Our programs are designed for the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program and how to meet those cycles for both Families and Soldiers. We also take care of the retiree population."
Retirees and Family members with valid military identification cards can use all of the services, including the gym.
"It's very useful. After years of inactivity and health issues, my doctor recommended that I come to the wellness center," said Terry McCoy, a retired Army first sergeant. "The staff here has helped me get on a program to improve my health. It's very helpful."
Supported by the garrison, the MPWC offers more comprehensive services than similar civilian wellness centers, Hance said.
"For screenings and treatment we are different than most wellness centers across the United States in that we have health care providers here," she said. "We provide treatment for health promotion and prevention as well as education, and we partner with patients' primary care managers to ensure clear health goals are advanced between office visits. The providers include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, a nurse and health technicians," Hance said.
One of the center's most popular services is tobacco cessation, Hance said.
"It's an important program for us," she said. "We saw over 1,000 people last year that wanted to quit smoking. Our average quit rate is above the national average. The national average is around 4-7 percent, and we get closer to 12-percent success. It's a hard thing to measure, because people are transitioning all the time."
The staff also offers specialized services. A Migun relaxtion bed has massage heads and heated jade stones. There is a relaxation chair for stress management. The staff also can provide gait analyses, which includes videotaping a runner on a treadmill from the calves down to determine the type of running shoes that best prevent injuries or damage to the knees and hips that could present later in life, Hance said.
The Civilian Wellness Program gives civilian employees access to the center, said Denise Acevedo, health promotion coordinator.
"It's a (Department of Defense) program," she said. "Those who enroll have to have permission from their supervisors before they can start and clearance from their physician."
The weight management service offered to Soldiers, retirees and Family members includes nutrition counseling, physical fitness counseling, a MetaCheck analysis, and a state-of-the-art system that shows people how many calories they should consume to achieve their desired weight loss.
"It tests their resting metabolism, so it helps with weight loss," said Kendra Seat, health technician. "It gives us an idea of how many calories their bodies burn at rest. From there, it gives us an idea of how many calories they need to actually eat to lose weight."
The staff provides outreach to the community by manning information booths at various health fairs held throughout the year on Fort Carson. They also brief Soldiers during their in-processing and visit units and Family readiness groups to provide briefings on the services they provide, Hance said.
"We talk to the community about what medical threats there may be in this area," she said. "The FRGs will ask us to come and do some stress-management techniques classes. We'll go and give them a briefing with examples of the exercises they can do at home with their kids to relieve stress."
The center is located above Army Community Service in building 1526. For more information about services provided, call 526-3887.
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