WRITER | LISA BECKER CAMPBELL
PHOTOS | AL!VE
A desire to reach our optimal physical and mental well-being calls to us, but achieving these can be a challenge. Demands of busy lives easily distract us. A destination designed to encompass all aspects of well-being might make it easier to maintain a healthy body and mind, and AL!VE in Charlotte is such a place!
AL!VE bills itself as an experience-based destination health park. A product of Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital, the facility promotes community health and vitality with spaces for clinical, social, and educational purposes. Its goal is to help improve the overall quality of life in the Greater Charlotte and Mid-Michigan communities.
“We knew AL!VE would be a regional draw but were surprised at just how far-reaching it became. Our health park has attracted people from over 240 ZIP codes throughout the country,” stated Patrick Sustrich, executive director.
Over 200,000 consumers visit AL!VE annually and the facility offers unique, enriching experiences to every single one.
Address medical issues with integrated health services, enjoy nutrition and cooking classes, stroll on the indoor/outdoor walking path, grab a smoothie, engage in adult fitness classes or youth enrichment/play, and much more!
The facility is open to all – with no membership fees or requirements – and many of the activities and programs are free. Currently, the calendar includes such diverse subjects as Preschool Sports Sampler, Couples Massage, Clean Eating Combos, Diabetes Support Group, and Interactive Heart Health. Quarterly program guides listing classes, programs, and activities are available at the facility or online.
The campus is relaxed and inviting, with a combination of state-of-the-art medical equipment, technology, architecture, and environment. Built in 2011 with environmental sensitivity, the buildings feature special touches, such as flooring made from recycled rubber tires and 100-year-old barn wood from the Upper Peninsula.
The campus spaces are engaging and designated to inspire.
GROW is the recreational and development area for children ages three months to 12 years, featuring a 36-foot tree house.
GATHER is the dedicated, fully functional conference space with its own entrance and two boardrooms.
SOAR is a multipurpose activity gym, which not only provides a place for recreational activities, such as basketball, and classes, such as Zumba, but also for community events.
RELISH is the demonstration kitchen that features programs and classes that teach healthy and delicious eating and cooking. New events and seminars are scheduled each quarter and are open to the public.
EMPOWER is home to the hospital’s rehabilitation services, using state-of-the-art equipment, from concussion testing to physical, occupational, and speech therapy and much more.
BRIDGE is a transitional workout space intent on moving patients from rehabilitation to prevention. Also, it is home to private workout areas for seniors, women, and special population groups such as those needing cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services.
FUSE is the integrated medical spa, home to top-notch estheticians and massage therapists working to create refreshing and rejuvenating experiences as well as more advanced, results-driven medical spa services, such as microdermabrasion and the Graston Technique.
PONDER is home to views of a tranquil outdoor garden area and access to EXPLORE, the indoor/outdoor walking paths that host more than 200 walkers daily.
MOVE is the fitness center, and ASCEND is a rock climbing wall.
All of these spaces, programs, and activities create a place in Mid-Michigan where visitors can transform, empower, and enhance their well-being.
“The success of AL!VE has made it a model for other communities. More than 40 hospitals and small communities have visited to learn more about how to revitalize the health and vitality of their area,” states Sustrich. “We’re delighted to help.”
AL!VE: Your Community Well-being Place Hayes Green Beach Memorial Hospital l (517) 541-5831 l MyAlive.com l HGBHealth.com
