Bettye Jones of Liberty City recently gained back all of the weight she had lost several years ago—and then some—and her arthritis and diabetes are much worse. But today, thanks to the Functional Assessment Clinic and Wellness Center at the Jefferson Reaves Sr. Health Center in Overtown, she is fighting back again. Jones, 65, is one of the first patients to undergo an evaluation that will lead her back to a healthier lifestyle.

“I think this program is going to be good for what ails me,” says Jones. “I think if I take off the weight, I’ll be able to move around better, I’ll have less trouble with my knees, and maybe be able to get off some of my medications.”

Those are primary goals of the center, says Siri Akal, M.D., associate professor of family medicine and medical director of the Jefferson Reaves Sr. Health Center. “We hope to get their blood pressure down, their weight down, and hopefully we’ll see a big impact on their overall health.”

A $20,000 pilot grant from the United Health Foundation and donation of equipment from the Committee of Interns and Residents are helping. The results, doctors hope, will begin showing soon.