In 1999,
Poweshiek County, Iowa was selected for an international wellness consortium to study well communities and how to better integrate community health resources. In addition to Poweshiek County, the other communities were
Chicago, IL.,
Munich, Germany, and
Bolzano, Italy. The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether integrated medicine produced improved health compared to traditional medicine alone. Throughout the project, the organizers looked at everything that contributes to a well community, including physical, mental, spiritual, and environmental issues. According to
Team Line Up, the GRMC employee newsletter at the time, the consortium "identified Poweshiek County as the best rural site for such a study. The interest of the community in improving health status, its strategic location, diverse population, intellectual base, academic and medical resources, and business strength were important factors supporting this choice." Postels Community Health Park opened in 2001 at Broad Street and Commercial Avenue in downtown Grinnell. The healthcare providers located in the health park are also credentialed to provide care within the hospital. These include
acupuncture,
chiropractic,
hypnotherapy,
massage therapy, and oriental medicine, featured in a September 2008
USA Today article. GRMC operates two exercise facilities. The Paul W. Ahrens Fitness and Rehabilitation Center is located in the Ahrens Medical Arts Building on the GRMC campus. This facility provides a complete selection of cardio equipment, free weights, and weight machines. This facility is supervised by wellness staff and medical supervision for rehabilitation purposes. GRMC's Fitness and Wellness Center also offers programs at Postels Community Health Park in downtown Grinnell including group fitness classes such as
aerobics,
yoga,
kickboxing,
Pilates, Spinning, strength training, and
Zumba. GRMC provides training for its employees and area businesses in HeartMath, a technique for stress and emotional management. ==National designations==