Southampton, NY—Ed and Phyllis Davis have made a Challenge Grant to help establish Southampton Hospital's third wellness site in the Hamptons. When the community of Montauk raises the designated amount, it will be matched and Southampton Hospital will open a new Wellness Institute branch in Montauk. The Davises are long-time supporters of Southampton Hospital, having funded the Edmund R. Davis Emergency Heart Center in the Hospital’s Emergency Department, a new mother/baby room in the Kathleen D. Allen Maternity Center, the creation of the Ed & Phyllis Davis Wellness Institute in the Hospital (which included the modernization of the Cardiac Pulmonary Rehabilitation area) and, most recently, the opening of the Wellness Institute site in Hampton Bays. Hospital President and CEO Robert Chaloner remarked, “We have the generosity and foresight of Ed and Phyllis Davis to thank for our Wellness Institute in the Hospital and in Hampton Bays. They are good friends and benefactors to the entire East End community and we are hopeful that members of the Montauk community will help us to raise the funds necessary to match their challenge.” The Davises commented, “The most rewarding part of our involvement with the Wellness Institute was seeing how the Hospital staff made it a reality. A small number attended a seminar at Harvard Medical School to learn about its mind/body program and the research that proved the program’s value to patients and their families. This program later became the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind/Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital which many of the Southampton staff have also attended. After returning from Boston, they obtained Bob Chaloner’s approval to initiate a committee to create a mind/body program. They spent extra time to develop a plan and to oversee its execution. Even design work and construction was completed by Hospital staff. It was a wonderful experience to watch the staff grow as professionals, demonstrate great team-work and show such respect for each other’s contributions. Their initiative exemplified what a community hospital can produce to help its patients lead happier and more productive lives. We thank them all.”
This summer, the Hospital is working with the Montauk Library to provide two 5-week wellness programs, Chair Fitness and “Lose Weight and Feel Great.” Chair Fitness includes chair yoga and gentle aerobic exercises to help improve overall strength and endurance. Classes meet Wednesday and Friday10:45-11:30 am or Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10:45 -11:30 am. “Lose Weight and Feel Great” offers exercise routines designed to burn calories and improve overall strength. Weekly weigh-ins, food and exercise logs will keep participants motivated and on track to lose. This class meets Monday, 6-7 pm and Wednesdays, 6-7:15 pm. Please call (631) 728-WELL for more information and to register.
