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Oak Ridge Embraces a Healthy Future

City offers the complete package: abundant activities, great nutritional offerings, excellent nonprofit programming and top-notch health care.

By Patsy B. Weiler on June 8, 2023

Farmers market in Oak Ridge, TN
Misty Wong

Oak Ridge is often known as the “Secret City,” but word is out about the innovative ways the area is connecting the dots between physical activity, nutritional offerings, nonprofit programming and health care providers to encourage residents to participate in healthier, happier lives.

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge opened as an Army hospital in 1943 when Oak Ridge was America’s “Secret City” during World War II. Today, the 283-bed facility serves more than 200,000 residents of the region and is a member of the area’s largest employer, Covenant Health.

Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge in Tennessee
Don Dudenbostel

Caring for the Future

Methodist works in tandem with local high schools and colleges, providing opportunities for young adults interested in the medical field. The Oak Ridge High School Health Science Academy offers a multipath program that prepares students to move seamlessly into postsecondary education or the health care workforce.

The partnership with Lincoln Memorial University allows medical students the opportunity to perform clinical rotations alongside the facility’s physicians. 

The hospital in Oak Ridge is expanding the local scope of medical training with the establishment of the Methodist Family Medicine Residency Program. Dr. James Schindler, who also holds a master’s degree in public health, and a team of area physicians will direct the initiative.

Medical school graduates will be recruited to the Knoxville-Oak Ridge area to train, becoming the next generation of family physicians. It is anticipated the first class of eight residents will be welcomed in July 2024, with a goal of having 24 in training by the third year. 

“We will create a top-quality program that produces well-trained physicians who will practice family medicine and improve the health of families and communities,” Schindler says. “The residents will have the resources of Methodist Medical Center and Covenant Health, plus the amazing community of Oak Ridge, all with the latest technology and training tools at their disposal.” 

Students at Premier Martial Arts in Oak Ridge, TN
Katie Hannah

Fitness for the Entire Family

There is no experience, or a certain fitness level, required to walk through the doors of Premier Martial Arts in Oak Ridge. A mix of various martial arts disciplines, primarily from taekwondo, kickboxing and krav maga, are offered. This is a welcoming place where age is not a barrier, says owner Andrea Myers. “Programs begin for children as young as 3 and go to 93.”

The gym is committed to not only help its members find a healthier and active lifestyle, but also all of Oak Ridge. In addition to classes, several free programs, including demonstrations, workshops and self-defense seminars, are offered.

Myers has seen firsthand the positive effect martial arts can have, including its impact on her own family.

“My husband practiced martial arts for many years in several different styles. Both of our kids struggled developmentally, and we found the practice of martial arts to be most impactful in their growth and development,” Myers says.

“For myself, the time I spent on the mat led me out of a major depressive state and on a road to healing. Because of our own personal experiences, we believe we can provide a more genuine and unique experience for other families in Oak Ridge.”

Grow Oak Ridge’s Winter Farmers Market in Tennessee
Misty Wong

Proximity to Healthy Produce

Grow Oak Ridge is a nonprofit organization promoting local health by connecting “local food and local folks,” says Rebecca Williams, director of the business.

The organization operates the Winter Farmers Market on Saturdays from December through March in the gym at St. Mary’s Catholic School. About 30 vendors who make, bake or grow their merchandise – and live music – greet visitors.

Veggie Time!

A weekly Nourish Kids Club offers young visitors a free taste of a vegetable and $5 in Produce Bucks to spend with local farmers at the market.

The market donates 10% of weekly vendor fees to the school’s food pantry and community garden.

In the summer of 2023, Grow Oak Ridge’s new Grow Your Own: Backyard & Community Gardening Program will provide 10 households with seeds, organic fertilizers and training to start vegetable gardens either in their own backyards or in one of Oak Ridge’s community gardens.

Participants learn how to preserve any extra vegetables or sell them on Market-To-Go, an online farmers market the organization runs year-round.

“In a year of soaring food costs, we want everyone to have the best access they can to fresh, locally grown produce,” Williams says. 

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