Community Partner: Joy Wellness Center
Peer Mentor: Anam Chaudhry
Site Supervisor: Kerry Martinez
What is the Joy Wellness Center?
At the Joy Wellness Center we offer programming in four areas: Movement Education, Healing Arts, Stress
Reduction, and Nutrition Education. Classes include yoga, mindfulness‐based stress reduction, breathing, nutrition,
walking, smoking cessation, massage, meditation, acupuncture, and reflexology. All programs and therapies are
designed specifically to create transformative, healthy, life‐affirming changes in the lives of our patients.
Tasks:
• Help facilitate holistic health classes
• Assist with administrative duties
• Tend the garden
The Joy Wellness Center, combined with the Shepherd's clinic, aims to provide
quality and integrative health care to its patients. The Wellness Center offers
several programs that are targeted at reducing a patient's physical, emotional,
and psychological stress in an effort to enhance their health. More often than
not, patients who exhibit severe health outcomes are dealing with an
immense amount of stress in their daily life. I was able to see this firsthand
during my time at the Joy Wellness Center. In conversing with patients, I could
see how these obstacles take a serious toll on their well‐being. Many are
trying to pay bills and make a living for themselves, on top of worrying about
their health and affording health insurance. Hearing stories of patients who
were denied medical care because they simply could not afford it was
absolutely heartbreaking. Luckily, the Wellness Center shows patients how to
handle stress in a healthy and positive way. I have had the incredible
opportunity to hear about the challenging obstacles that patients face in their
everyday lives, and watch as they enjoy and grow from the many educational
programs that are offered. I will carry the lessons that I have learned from my
time here on my journey towards becoming a physician. The Wellness Center
provided me with the chance to see a different side of medicine that I
otherwise would not have seen. The Joy Wellness Center is an amazing place,
and I am truly grateful for this experience‐ Anam
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