Community Health & Wellness

Fitness program for those with chronic illnesses grows, thanks to a grant from Franciscan

Posted on March 13th, 2025 By: Conor Wilson

As a remix of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” fills a room at the Haselwood YMCA in Silverdale, instructor Jim O’Brien tells his class they are welcome to sing along “whether you know the words or not.”

Moving rhythmically and speaking through a hands-free microphone, O’Brien guides about two two dozen participants through a dance exercise to start his Enhance Fitness Arthritis Management group, one of several classes the YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap County run for adults managing chronic diseases.

Classes tailored for folks with diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis have been in operation at Gig Harbor, Silverdale, Lakewood and Tacoma gyms for years, offering a health extension to local medical providers. Anyone who is qualified can enroll, but non-members can enter (often at no cost) via a referral from their physician.

Fitness instructor Jim O’Brien gives a thumbs up as his Enhanced Fitness Arthritis Management class move through their exercise routine at the Haselwood YMCA in Silverdale on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Photo by Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun

Partnership with VMFH

Physicians at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, the largest health care provider on the Kitsap Peninsula, had been making few referrals until a partnership bloomed last year that sent about 100 patients to YMCA classes. This year they hope to refer four times as many people in an effort to reduce rates of chronic disease and obesity.

“The Y is more than a gym and swim,” Courtney Austin, the gym’s association director of evidence-based programming, says while watching the Enhanced Fitness Class on Wednesday. “There’s a lot of impact we can and do have.”

The YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap was one of 27 agencies selected through VMFH’s Community Health Improvement Grant program, which the medical nonprofit says targets the region’s most pressing health needs. VMFH awarded the Y $89,000 to expand its Diabetes Prevention, Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring and Enhanced Fitness programs. Funding will cover the cost of membership for patients and educate providers about the program, said Susan Buell, the gym’s association director of health initiatives.

Donna Hart of Silverdale sweeps her arms into the air as she and fellow participants run though an exercise routine during the Enhanced Fitness Arthritis Management class at the Haselwood YMCA in Silverdale on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Photo by Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun

“All of this is out of the desire to support the pain points in our healthcare system,” she said.

VMFH identified chronic disease and obesity as one of the region’s top health priorities during a 2023 Community Needs Assessment. Diabetes, heart disease and similar diseases encompass many of the most common and costly health conditions locally, according to the report.

Gaining traction

The YMCA’s medical-focused classes were embedded into Virginia Mason’s Medical System for referrals back in 2020, Buell said, allowing medical staff at St. Anthony Hospital or St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale to click a button that directly referred patients to the YMCA. But due to the pandemic, the program did not immediately take off and has just started to gain traction.

The benefit of these programs, Buell said, is that the participants can see other people who are trying to make similar lifestyle changes. They build a camaradeie and hold each other accountable. They also get access to coaches and experts who track their progress over the duration of the class.

Making healthy changes can also be a long process. Patients often not achieve it during a standard doctor’s appointment, Buell said. Having the opportunity to work with patients for multiple months helps improve the chance they will adopt and maintain better habits.

”I live for those ‘aha moments,’ when someone realizes that they have more agency in affecting their health that they thought they could have,” she said.

The year-long diabetes prevention program, launched in 2010, helps pre-diabetic adults reduce risk of their condition worsening through weekly one hour meetings for 16 weeks and monthly meets for the next eight months. The blood pressure monitoring program is similar, offering access to a heart coach for 16 weeks to work towards health focused goals.

Kevin Cavanagh, of Silverdale, follows the movements of instructor Jim O’Brien during the Enhanced Fitness Arthritis Management class at the Haselwood YMCA in Silverdale on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Photo by Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun

Enhance Fitness

The Enhance Fitness class is the most unique. It provides an hourlong workout three times per week for those struggling with arthritis to improve flexibility and strength while reducing their risk of falls.

Mary Jo Juarez, 71, of Silverdale was among those working out at the Enhance Fitness program in Silverdale on Wednesday. She describes it as “life changing.” She says it has been an instrumental guide on aging gracefully and become an important social connection. Group members help each other during class and socialize at a monthly potluck.

“The Y is a community itself,” she said. “But there is another community within this room.”

Fitness instructor Jim O’Brien counts down as his Enhanced Fitness Arthritis Management class starts a new routine at the Haselwood YMCA in Silverdale on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. Photo by Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun