The Get Healthy Project Hosts Grand Opening Wellness Center Celebration on May 20

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - July 22, 2013 - PRLog -- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Get Healthy Project hosted a Grand Opening for its Johnson Mental Health Center Wellness Center on Monday, May 20. Speakers included Dr. Miriam Zwitter, Get Healthy Program Project Director from the UTC School of Nursing, and Dr. Christine B. Smith, Interim Director of the UTC School of Nursing. Dr. Zwitter and Donna Maddox, Director of Johnson Mental Health Center, cut the ribbon that officially opened the Wellness Center.

A special presentation was made to Dr. Smith during the program for donating funds toward the painting of the Wellness Center, which features an office and computer lab/great room area. Each office features a wall painted with the Get Healthy Project's distinct bright blue shade. Visitors viewed the Center for themselves and had the opportunity to speak with grant staff members regarding services offered at the Wellness Center.

Helping Others Get Healthy
The Wellness Center welcomes Johnson Mental Health Center clients each Monday. Nurse practitioner and UTC School of Nursing instructor Dr. Jeanne Hopple sees clients, offering them health coaching along with free-of-charge biometrics testing, including A1C testing, cholesterol panels and blood sugar tests. Nurse practitioner students from the School of Nursing also see clients in the Wellness Center under Dr. Hopple's supervision.

As the Get Healthy Project focuses on all aspects of wellness, Tai Chi classes are offered every Monday at 3 p.m. in the Wellness Center. Led by Katie Zwitter, Tai Chi Assistant and student of Dr. Zibin Guo, UC Foundation Professor of Anthropology, medical anthropologist and Tai Chi expert, the classes are a low-impact way to achieve relaxation and stress relief for those of all ages and skill levels. Like other services at the Wellness Center, the Tai Chi classes are free of charge to Johnson Mental Health Center clients.

Visitors to the Wellness Center also have the opportunity to use one of the Center's three computers to obtain reliable and useful health information on a variety of topics, including diabetes, high blood pressure and sexual health. Clients can print out relevant information to take home for future reading. Scott Lyons, GHP IT Consultant, set up the computers, as well as the Center's two new televisions that feature health teaching and instructional videos. The Center's grand opening represents a way of welcoming Johnson Mental Health Clients to new opportunities to engage in preventive wellness activities to enhance the severe and persistently mentally ill population's overall well-being.

About the Grant:
The Get Healthy Project is a three-year federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration now in its third year of existence. Additional activities include wellness fairs, an annual mental health conference and health teaching at area group homes. Community partners include Volunteer Behavior Health, Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute, Chattanooga Community Kitchen, NAMI of Chattanooga and NAMI of Tennessee. For more information or to make an appointment at the Wellness Center, please call (423) 825-4423 (tel:%28423%29%20825-4423).