KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. KSHB 41 News received multiple emails from viewers frustrated by the sudden and permanent closures of three Optum Community Centers across the metro. Lily O'Shea Becker visited the Midtown location and spoke with members who showed up for class to find out that the center had permanently closed. Share your story idea with Lily.
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Optum Community Center members received an email Wednesday afternoon saying the Midtown Kansas City, Missouri, Shawnee and Northland locations were closing early "due to internal operation business matters."
Members of the Midtown location — located at 3600 Broadway Blvd. — showed up Thursday morning to find out the center had permanently closed.
"Why not give us a month's warning?" member Nancy Tilson-Mallett asked.
Yoga and fitness instructor Jesse Davis showed up Thursday morning because he knew some of his students wouldn't be aware of the closure.
Davis received an email from leadership at OptumCare on Wednesday that stated the last day of operation was Dec. 17.
"I know I have lost a good chunk of my income overnight, and I don't know what that looks like at this time," Davis said.
Optum offered more than a workout and hangout space for the members of Davis' class.
"We're a family now," said member Susan Moreno.
Members said the 55-and-up classes were free through insurance. Optum is a UnitedHealth Group company, according to its website.
Tilson-Mallett is a retired physician. She said exercise and socialization are basic components of good health, which the classes at Optum provided.
"Now it's being taken away," Moreno said.
One member said this gym stands apart from others because instructors teach at all levels and provide modifications for students who need it.
"We depend on the friendship, the health benefits," Moreno said.
When asked if the closure meant an end to their friendship, multiple members said, "No."
"We brought the area of this neighborhood together," Tilson-Mallett said.
Optum provided the following statement to KSHB 41 News:
"We remain deeply committed to delivering quality care and services to the patients and communities we serve. After careful evaluation, we have determined we can no longer keep the Optum Community Centers open. To support patients and ensure uninterrupted care, we are proactively reaching out to transition appointments to virtual visits and encouraging members to explore alternative exercise programs and services offered in the area."
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