Welcome
We would like to share with you some wonderful news about the transformation of our organization into an exciting new program which will fill a gap in the delivery of services to cancer and heart disease—The Wellness Community of the Dayton Region.

Our History

Wellness Connection has a 50+ year history of providing services related to heart disease and cancer in the Dayton community. Its roots go back to the Dayton Heart Association and the Montgomery County Society for Cancer Control - two organizations formed in the 1950's to address unmet needs in the local community. In 1994 these two organizations merged to become the Dayton Area Heart & Cancer Association. Over the decades our efforst focused on different kinds of services - from pap smears to preventative screenings, from support groups, education, and services for the uninsured, to fitness centers and cardiac rehab. But throughout the 50 years, the primary goal has been to reduce the imact of heart disease and cancer by teaching people to prevent or live well with a disease.

In recent years the Board of Trustees has seen several other health providers enter the arena of preventative screenings and wellness. At the urging of cancer patients and after evaluating local trends, the Board decided to focus ona significant unmet need in the community: psyhosocial support to cancer and heart disease patients who need love, coaching, support, education and best practice information to recover from the depths of a life threatening disease. After throughly investigating The Wellness Community model, the organization signed a charter to brin ga Wellness Community to Dayton, a program offering professionally-led support groups, comprehensive education, community-building and hope to cancer patients and their caregivers.

This cancer model can be adapted to provide equally strong support services to people with heart disease and their families. We plan to offer this as a pilot project.

In order to focus on a $1.5 million campaign to raise the funds to establish The Wellness Community in the Dayton area, the Board systematically collaborated with other organizations to continue the administration of existing wellness programs so those services would continue to be available. Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County now operates the fitness center located at Elizabeth Place. Unified Health Solutions now offers Wellness To Go, workplace and community screenings and education.

Here's the exciting news: Wellness Connection will become The Wellness Community-Dayton Region beginning in 2010. A space will be renovated at Sugar Camp and the new, home-like facility will welcome cancer and heart patients and their families at an open house in April, 2010.

Download our latest newsletters:

Well Aware:  Fall 2008

Staying Connected:  October 2009  December 2009

Download Our Annual Reports   2004   2005   2006  2007 2008

IRS Form 990

Wellness Connection of the Dayton Region ©2006• (937) 223-4117