Leadership Washington participates in Health and Wellness Day

WASHINGTON — The 2025-2026 Leadership Washington class learned a lot about various aspects of health and wellness during December. They started the day at the United Presbyterian Home, where the dining staff served a delicious breakfast. Dr. Megan Hangartner of Modern Eye Care talked about a wide variety of issues that can affect the eyes, and the advanced technology used to diagnose and treat those issues.

Following the lecture, the class was led on a tour of the UP campus by Erin Drahota, Director of Finance and Operations, and Amy Kleese, CEO. The class also participated in a drumming activity to some Christmas tunes, led by Jan Fleig, Activity Director and Jordan Van Ee, Assistant Activity Director.

We then traveled to the Washington YMCA, where City Administrator Joe Gaa gave us an update on the city’s Parks and Rec Department. Following his presentation, Taylor Hanson and Kyla Bieri gave the class a tour of the Y facilities, and update on the Y’s offerings, and a quick boxing activity in the “rage cage.”

Next stop was lunch at Washington County Hospitals and Clinics. John Woodward with the WCHC Foundation gave the class and update on what’s going on at the hospital and the funds the Foundation has secured for added improvements in 2026. A new space for physical therapy and the addition of chemotherapy are at the top of the list! John was then joined by Greta Clemons and Emme Keith for tours of the hospital. The class then returned to the conference room for an interesting presentation from speech pathologist Steve Loew. It’s so interesting how speech and swallowing can be affected during the aging process!

The class then moved to Hospice of Washington County, where Katrina Altenhofen, Executive Director opened eyes into all that is involved with hospice and helping patients and families at the end of their lives. We also toured their lovely facility. Elisabeth Peiffer, Owner of the Joy of Music, led a fun musical activity to introduce the group to her passion, music therapy. It’s remarkable how music can unlock pathways in the brain!

The final stop of the tour took the class out to Marr Park, where Megan Jorgenson educated the class about some of the animals found in the park. Leader Bonnie Rund even held a snake!