Accessibility to quality health programs and services in New Albany is abundant. I am constantly made aware of this whether through the daily health-related emails I receive, articles in local newspapers I read or the myriad of engaging stories that appear in this magazine. Of course, having a shining star in our community, namely Healthy New Albany (HNA), radiates with its wide range of offerings that inspire life-changing opportunities for residents of all ages. Indeed, New Albany’s reputation as a center of health innovation is growing.
New Albany’s health accomplishments extend beyond its borders as several years ago it received top honors as recognized by the Ohio Healthy Community Award presented by the Ohio Department of Health’s Bureau of Creating Healthy Communities. The award is based on different health benchmarks a city must successfully address to be acknowledged, and New Albany tied for the highest score in the state. For this and many other reasons, it is not surprising that opportunities for promoting wellness in New Albany continue to thrive.
I hope you will read Brandon Klein’s article, Health Care in Your Back Yard that details the forthcoming Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s (OSUWMC) Outpatient Health and Surgery Center. This facility will provide another opportunity for New Albany residents to receive state-of-the-art health care that is located only minutes away and adjacent to the Hamilton Square Shopping Center. The OSUWMC facility is so close that I can access it from my walking route via the Dublin-Granville Road trail. Of course, I am not encouraging you to traverse this trail for your next health care appointment or if you need treatment at urgent care plus, an alternative to an emergency room visit that will be housed in the new facility.
The Outpatient Health and Surgery Center cements another aspect of the relationship between New Albany and OSUWMC. It will complement services provided by OSUWMC and HNA. Imagine a lineup of health lectures, classes taught by OSU nutritionists focusing on topics such as cooking for heart health as well as health workshops for seniors, just to name a few. I think about the possibility of a partnership whereby HNA holds health lectures inside the new facility that are led by OSUWMC physicians. The relationship between HNA and OSUWMC is already synergistic with the presence of OSUWMC’s Health and Fitness Center, physical therapy, sports medicine and primary care, all located in the Heit Center.
Stay tuned as further details about the Outpatient Health and Surgery Center are announced. The best is yet to come.
Healthfully,
Phil Heit
Executive Director Emeritus
Healthy New Albany
Founders Day Celebration Now Saturday, August 28
Rose Run Park Dedication, Healthy New Albany 5K among other activities
The Founders Day Parade & Festival, one of New Albany’s most popular community celebrations, has been tentatively moved from mid-May to Aug. 28 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Given where the world is with community celebrations, we felt like the best thing to do was move the Founders Day celebration back, with hopes that social distancing restrictions will ease by then,” says Linda Honaker, the Founders Day co-chair. “Although we won’t know for sure until later this summer, we are tentatively looking forward to a great Founders Day, along with the other events that will make the day even more fun.”
Rose Run Park Dedication
Following the Rose Run 5K, Healthy New Albany will sponsor various family activities around Rose Run Park, the Marx Library Garden and the Heit Center parking lot as a lead up to the Rose Run Park dedication, which will begin around 10:30 a.m.
Mayor Sloan Spalding and other City Council members will officially dedicate the park with New Albany families and businesses who helped make Rose Run Park a reality. Rose Run Park is a wonderful gathering place in a natural setting that connects our civic amenities in the center of town, and everyone is invited to attend this event. The dedication will also include recognition of a time capsule to be buried in the park and opened in the year 2070, 50 years after Rose Run Park officially opened to the public.
Healthy New Albany Rose Run 5K
Healthy New Albany will kick off the day’s events at 8 a.m. with the inaugural Rose Run 5K (https://runsignup.com/roserun5k). Children and adults alike will be able to participate in this event, and registrants can participate as individuals, with family or friends, or by creating a team with co-workers.
Proceeds from the race will provide funding for Healthy New Albany initiatives, including Senior and Youth Programs, Garden Club, After School Nature & Cooking Programs, Food Pantry, Summer Meals, Cancer Survivorship Program and various community events.
Founders Day Parade & Festival with Concerts
The parade will begin around 11 a.m. (immediately after the Rose Run Park dedication) along High Street on the school learning campus (near either Kardules Way or Chatham Green), then turning right (south) along Main Street and west along Dublin-Granville Road directly past Rose Run Park. This will allow all those who attend the Rose Run Park dedication to stay put to enjoy the parade. The parade will finish in the Church of the Resurrection parking lot.
Immediately after the parade, from approximately noon-5 p.m., the Founders Day Festival will take place. Amusement rides will be set up in the Heit Center parking lot, while a stage will be set up directly north of Dublin-Granville and the Raines Crossing bridge to play host to two local bands during the afternoon (this stage will also be used for the Rose Run Park dedication).
Founders Day event staff is also coordinating food trucks along Dublin-Granville Road, and the city is working with BrewDog staff to gauge interest in creating a possible beer garden as part of the festival activities.
For more information about 2021 Founders Day events, go to www.newalbanyfoundersday.com.
“This is going to be a day filled with fun and excitement, and I think we can all agree it will be fantastic when these fun normal days become a part of our lives again, here in New Albany and across the country!” says Mayor Sloan Spalding. “We worked with Founders Day coordinators last year to include bands and more activities as part of their festival to make a great event even more festive, and I’m glad all those efforts will come to fruition this year.”
Future Updates
Stay tuned as the event date gets closer for more details on City of New Albany social media, the LIST e-newsletter (sign up at www.newalbanyohio.org/subscribe), the city website or City Council’s letter to residents.
Scott McAfee is the New Albany chief communications & marketing officer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
