On the job with ...

KIM MCCLENDON

Manager

Whether you’re looking to lose some weight or bulk up, or are just looking for some friends to sweat it out with, a local gym is a good place to start.

Kim Mcclendon, the manager of Fitness Unlimited in Benton, takes pride in being able to help the gym’s guests achieve their fitness goals.

“When they first come in and think they can’t [lose weight], I feel it’s my obligation to sit down with them and try to motivate them to know that they can,” she said.

Mcclendon normally arrives at Fitness Unlimited around 9 a.m. and takes care of a variety of duties, from selling memberships and interacting with guests to taking care of staffing and stocking the juice bar.

“I’m kind of a catchall,” she said. “I do whatever needs to be done.”

She began her career at Fitness Unlimited as an accountant 16 years ago after meeting owners Glenda and vaughn Pegaue. Since then, Mcclendon has worked to provide customers a comfortable experience with a professional group of trainers and staff.

The gym offers cardio training, weight training, racquetball, a swimming pool, tanning and more. there are also classes throughout the week to offer socialization while getting in a workout, she said.

Mcclendon said it’s this atmosphere that helps people get the most out of their gym experience.

“A lot of people look at being the member of a gym as being a luxury or an excess, and I don’t,” she said. She added that with rising obesity rates, gyms provide a valuable service to the community.

“I want to see a real difference in the community, in the health of the community,” she said.

ANDY DICK

Director of information technology

Hospitals are more than just doctors and nurses. Behind the scenes, many people work to keep Saline Memorial Hospital’s health care professionals connected.

Andy Dick works as the hospital’s director of information technology. In addition to keeping the hospital’s computer network up and running, he also updates Saline Memorial’s electronic-medical-record program.

“We’ve been scanning our records for years,” he said. “We can’t run reports off any of the data that’s inside that piece of paper.”

Dick said the goal is to update the system so that information can be sent where it needs to go. The electronic health records will also help eliminate duplication and speed up patient care.

“If a doctor can make a decision about how to treat you 50 to 80 percent faster, … we can certainly treat the patients better,” he said.“the more information everyone has, the better decisions we can make.”

Dick said he begins his day around 7 a.m. by checking on department needs and any issues that may have come up overnight.the hospital’s IT staff has 12 technicians to support Saline Memorial’s 600 users and 700 computers and printers. Also, since the hospital is open 24 hours a day, the IT staff is on-call 24 hours a day.

Dick said the work he and his staff do at the hospital is not only vital to its operation, but to the health of the people of Saline County, because the hospital serves as the hub of health care in the community.

“The people [who work] here live here, and because they live here, I think they care for the patients at a different level,” he said.

JEAN SMITH

Dog groomer

It takes a patient and delicate hand to keep the pets of Saline County looking their best.

Jean Smith is a dog groomer at K-9 Splash and Dash in Bryant. The shop offers a variety of pet-care services, from self-service dog washing and boarding to classes and day care.

Smith has worked at K-9 Splash and Dash for five years and has been a groomer for more than 35 years. She said she became interested in grooming after being dissatisfied with how her own pet had been groomed.

“I had a neighbor who groomed dogs, so I learned a lot from her at that time and have kind of progressed through the years,” she said.

Smith usually arrives at the business around 7:30 a.m. and works with dogs big and small to keep them happy while she clips and cuts.

“We ask a lot of these dogs because some of these dogs don’t know us when they come in,” she said. “You’ve got to go with a gentle touch, and you’ve got to do that so they feel comfortable.”

Smith said seeing how happy dogs’ owners are when they pick up their pets is another reward of her job.

While most dogs just get a normal cut and wash, every now and then, Smith will get to let her imagination run wild and create a unique style. One of her favorites was giving a Maltese a style inspired by Elvis Presley, featuring bell bottoms and sideburns.

Smith’s work with pets doesn’t stop once she leaves work. She also serves as the show chairwoman for the Saline County Kennel Club.

Smith added that getting to spend time with her four-legged friends and making them look their best makes her job the best in the world.