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Aquatics board to take over center management

WHITEWATER — Mercy Health System is ending its affiliation with the aquatics and fitness center attached to Whitewater High School.

The Whitewater Aquatic Center board on Jan. 1 will take over management of the Mercy Fitness & Whitewater Aquatic Center. The facility will be renamed Whitewater Aquatic and Fitness Center.

Mercy has run the facility for 5 1/2 years, but its contract expires Dec. 31. After a year of "extensive discussions," Mercy and the aquatics center board mutually agreed to not renew the agreement, according to a news release.

Mercy Vice President Ralph Topinka said the change is part of the health system’s renewed focus on core services.

"This is just in keeping with our desire to focus on the core health care services, (and) this will allow us to do that a little better," he said.

Topinka said Mercy received revenues from managing the facility, but the operation "wasn’t the financial success we hoped it to be."

Earlier this year, Mercy announced it would eliminate its Mercy in Motion transportation service as well as its adult day care and inpatient hospice care programs. Increasing competition, shrinking reimbursements and a slumping economic conditions punctuated by the pending shutdown of General Motors in Janesville all were reasons cited then for its focus on core business.

Aquatic and fitness center users won’t see any immediate changes, said Thayer Coburn, president of the Whitewater Aquatics Center board.

"Our initial plan is to make no changes," he said.

All of the about 30 employees—mostly part-time students—will have to reapply for their jobs under the new management, but Coburn said the board plans no staffing level changes.

The board, however, is considering expanding hours and membership options, he said.

Possibilities include making a separate entrance to the fitness center and opening it 24 hours and allowing members to buy a fitness center-only pass, he said.

He stressed those ideas are only being discussed and are "not a done deal."

The facility is owned by the Whitewater Aquatics Center Board, which is appointed by the city and school district, he said.

The aquatics center opened in December 2001, and Mercy later contracted to manage the facility. The fitness center opened in spring 2004.