The Foundation of the Greene County Medical Center is underway for its new campaign of 2013 to raise money for an Alter G Anti-gravity treadmill.

Foundation Director Hollie Roberts says that last year, their annual campaign purchased a bone scanner to help with early detection of osteoporosis.  Now that the medical center has a bone scanner available to use on a daily basis, five days a week, they no longer have to rely on the limited use of a mobile unit.

This time, the annual campaign is focus on helping the public and community members with physical therapy with an addition of the Alter G treadmill.  Developed by NASA, the Alter-G unit has been tested by professional athletes and teams, but it can also be used in hospital settings for those patients needing to have physical therapy after surgery of the lower extremities like the hip, knee or ankle.  Dr. Jeffery Wahl of West Central Orthopedics at Greene County Medical Center says he’s excited about the potential of improvement patients will get from their physical therapy with this machine.

The Alter-G can suspend up to 80 percent of a person’s total body weight.  It works by stepping on the treadmill, raising an enclosure to your waist and zipping into the air chamber that encloses the lower body. After you enter your weight and press start, the air chamber inflates around your lower body and air pressure gently lifts you off of the treadmill to the body weight selected.  You then select the speed and level of the incline, and you start exercising.

Roberts points out that the goal for this year’s campaign is $50,000.  She says that the campaign is so important that its the focus of the Employee Campaign which kicks off on February 14, 2013.  Last year the employee donation equaled to the amount raised by the Greenebacker Campaign.

Anyone wishing to donate to the Foundation can bring or mail their checks to:  Greene County Medical Center, Attention:  Renee Dunne, 1000 W. Lincolnway, Jefferson, Iowa, 50129.  Or contact the medical center at 386-2114 for more information.