Bayhealth is teaming up with the Dover YMCA as it phases out a Dover fitness center.
In announcing the change, Bayhealth noted that the Y offers a much larger fitness center, two indoor pools, an outside pool located in west Dover, and a new gymnasium. Also cited were a range of family health and wellness activities.
“With our missions squarely aligned, we look forward to working with Bayhealth to continue to help the families and individuals of Dover improve their health and fitness,” said Deborah Bagatta-Bowles, CEO, YMCA of Delaware. “Having recently expanded our Dover facility in 2013 with a new gym and additional fitness space, the Y is poised to provide not only additional fitness but more family focused programs.”
Bayhealth will cease operations at its Lifestyles Fitness Center in Dover on Nov. 16.
YMCA member services staff will be available at the Lifestyles Fitness Center in Dover to discuss the opportunities and benefits for current Lifestyles members who transfer membership to the YMCA. Existing Lifestyles’ members will be able to become a member of the Dover YMCA with no joiner fee.
“We are proud of the services that our Lifestyles in Dover has provided to our patients, employees and the community for over 25 years and look forward to the new opportunities our relationship with the YMCA will bring to our Bayhealth community,” said Terry M. Murphy, Bayhealth CEO.
Bayhealth’s Lifestyles Fitness Center in Milford will continue to provide services on the campus of Milford Memorial Hospital.
It’s not true the YMCA has a larger fitness center than Dover Lifestyles. It is true that the Y has exercise/activity offerings that Lifestyles does not. The people who go to Lifestyles go there for the exceptional quality of the facility, staff and atmosphere. They don’t care about the pools or basketball court. I’ve been to both and there is no comparison. Lifestyles is far superior to the Dove Y, or any other fitness center in Central DE.
It’s a shame that thee will no longer be an option for those willing to pay a premium for a high end fitness center. The options now are either the YMCA or one of $9.99/month places.
The closing of Lifestyles is inexcusable. The attempt is to appear as if a positive move is being made when it is far from positive. I had been a memeber of the Y previously before moving to Lifestyles. Only at Lifestyles was I given a program that I could work and have been extremely successful in implementing. My health and well being improved dramatically. This was a result of the high level of staff expertise and committment to the members of Lifestyles. Bayheath was providing the community with the highest standards in preventative health services before this decision. Offering the Y is not an equitable offering. It seems that Bayhealth is once again catering to “the corporate and political bottom line” in it’s decision making rather than providing true care and service to it’s clients.