Clinical Small Group Exercise Class

Published March 30, 2021

One of our recent highlights at Healthplex’s Mission Fitness has been our Clinical Small Group exercise class. Participants meet 5x/week with our Clinical Integration Coordinator, Zach Cavazos. One of the major benefits of the Clinical Small Group class is that it is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Every participant trains to improve strength, endurance, cardiovascular performance, and balance throughout the week.

“What we admire about the class is the structure and innovative exercises incorporated into the class to improve on our weaknesses,” said Minnie Kikuchi. Zach Cavazos, the clinical lead of the program had this to say, “Guiding the class is my favorite part of the day. I enjoy getting close with the members not only as clients, but as friends.” We have learned many things from this program the past few months. Most importantly, we learned that we must put a focus on improving our health to give our immune systems the ability to stay healthy.

The class is exceeding our expectations in terms of benefits for the participants. For example, it has a huge value with a lot to offer in terms of the usual benefits of exercise. One aspect we didn’t anticipate is how the social aspect is playing such a huge part in maintaining good mental health. For example, many have noticed having an increasingly positive state of mind.

Membership Services Director Spotlight….Tyler Lowther

Published March 15, 2021

Tyler Lowther is the newest addition to the Healthplex Fitness Center team at St. Barnabas. His role in the Bronx Community and the Healthplex will be a dual one. As the HFC’s Membership Service Director Tyler will help the hospital’s staff begin their journey in wellness. Tyler will also have a role as a personal trainer and will work with the Center’s Cabrini patients. The Cabrini Grant funds the wellness program and aims to combat chronic illnesses through exercise and nutrition. Tyler is personally committed to “give back” to members of the Bronx Community. He hopes to give the community access to life changing programs they are often left out of.

A native New Yorker, Tyler grew up in Brooklyn and was a competitive archer for over ten years. He was first introduced to archery while attending a youth summer camp in upstate New York. He fell in love with the sport at the age of 13 after participating in a weekend program for inner city kids taught by the Head Coach (also a Brooklynite) of Columbia University’s Varsity Archery Team. Tyler went on to win the first state national archery competition he entered in 2007, held in Nantasket Massachusetts. His stellar performances at the state level earned him a scholarship to Emmanuel College in Georgia, where he captained the varsity archery team for three years, leading them to a national silver medal in 2017 while earning his Bachelor’s of Science in Organizational Communication. Additionally, Tyler earned his personal training certification with the National Academy of Sports Science in 2019.

The sport of archery was Tyler’s introduction to the world of sports performance training. Archery taught him how to develop his mental and physical strength through dedicated training. In addition, it also instilled in him a passion and desire to give back which he is excited to put to practice at the Healthplex Fitness Center at St. Barnabas.

MRMC Wellness Center’s Transition: Focus on Health

Published

Member participates in outdoor fitness class at MRMC Wellness Center.

2020 made every fitness center re-evaluate their health and alter their regular exercise routines. The Matagorda Regional Medical Center facility was no exception. MRMC Wellness Center’s transition focuses on health, wellness, and safety. As the major wellness resource in our small community, we are a significant part of the community’s focus for improving overall wellness. We also serve as a place to catch up and socialize with friends. The COVID pandemic definitely put a damper on social gatherings and brick and mortar (face to face) group exercise/personal training.

Our south Texas county was one of the hardest hit with Covid infections and our Hospital was full for weeks with patients. It left our members and MRMC team missing one another and counting down the days until the facility could reopen. Throughout all the changes and losses, we count our daily blessings as we adjust and begin a new normal and continue to work on our overall health/wellness. Some of the changes we implemented at the MRMC Wellness Center’s facility were spacing equipment out, limiting total occupancy capacity, wearing masks, taking daily temperature readings, and adding additional cleaning/disinfecting regimens throughout the day.

Healthplex Associates (HPA) consults with hospitals, health systems, foundations, and universities across the United States to create and manage clinically integrated fitness facilities. Healthplex Associates has developed unique programs to ensure the smooth transition from the clinical setting to the wellness center for people who need long term lifestyle management support for optimal health. HPA has achieved national leadership through innovation and our dedication to patients and clients.

Our combined staff has now served over 400 clients ranging from large hospitals to smaller, community based rural hospitals. We work exclusively with organizations ranging from healthcare systems, universities and foundations who are committed to a vision of improving the health and wellness of the community in which they serve.

Healthplex Associates has developed a unique, hands-on style to assisting and advising clients with an approach that stresses partnerships. We provide an array of services in the Medical Wellness Industry. These services include feasibility studies, audits of existing medical fitness centers and management. Fundamentally, we believe that true community health must include fitness/wellness services and because of our deep healthcare background (all of our principals have health care management or clinical backgrounds), our Healthplex team fully understands the client’s mission and the complexity of today’s healthcare environment.

The management team of Healthplex Associates is made up of some of the nation’s most experienced experts in the field of medically based fitness. Few management firms can boast of the experience in health care, clinical services, and operations of medically based fitness centers that HPA possesses.

Cabrini Grant-Healthplex Fitness Center Bronx, New York

Published February 25, 2021

The Healthplex team at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx is opening its doors! The members are participants of an innovative wellness program, made possible by the Cabrini Grant from the Mother Cabrini Foundation. What started as a virtual wellness offering, is turning into in-person training.

With the re-opening of the Center , the Healthplex team is meeting with roughly 60 participants on a weekly basis. The average age of participants in the program is 40 years old. The participants are being referred from multiple medical providers, with each having one, or multiple chronic conditions.

Lexis Beato, Fitness Professional at HFC, is meeting with a majority of participants, and is educating them on how to develop consistent, safe, and effective fitness routines. Patients who have never exercised in their lives, are coming into the Center on their off days and performing complex movements. For example, participants are able to perform squats, deadlifts, and even kettlebell swings, thanks to the guidance and cues Lexis is providing.

Many of the participants are forming new friendships. They are also seeing a dramatic increase in their self-esteem, energy levels, and motivation. For instance, participants are reporting that the changes in their mindset are affecting their home lives. In addition this is motivating them to seek out healthier alternatives to eat and drink. Many are encouraging their family members to make changes to their habits as well. The changes in the participants’ mental states have been so great that even our trainers are making notes of the changes. Healthplex is proud to be a part of this community effort that is being made possible by the Cabrini Grant.

Wellness Centers and the Olive Garden

Published

Mark Twain is famously quoted as having once said “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated”. I think the same can be said of the fitness industry today. Many people believe that the Covid 19 pandemic is the death knell of this once growing industry. It certainly is only fair to say that the industry, like our population is sick today. But like Mark Twain was at the time, it is still alive! In this case, I am convinced that it will come back to life, slowly perhaps, but when it does, it will be stronger than ever before.

When I was new to the industry and trying to quickly learn as much as I could from the leading experts, I had the opportunity to attend a seminar (back in the days when we did them in person!). The seminar was led by a man who is considered one of the leading experts on health club management. One of his topics was how successful clubs get through the unavoidable down period of the summer months. His lesson was that it was critical to create attractive programming or even special summer-only memberships; anything just to keep people in the club. For many of us who are experiencing those summers when our clubs become ghost towns, we know it’s tough to survive.

His point is that a successful club must find a way to generate activity and keep people coming in. He likened it to his theory of the Olive Garden. Think about when you go past a new restaurant at dinner time and find the parking lot empty. Chances are you’ll pass it up until you find an Olive Garden where the parking lot is busy and people are waiting in a line that wraps outside, holding beepers to await their turn. Health clubs are similar. While prospective members will always ask “does it get too crowded in here?”, an empty club can be an even bigger deterrent to membership than a robust crowd.

People are social beings and those who think that the only product of any of our wellness centers is to provide equipment for workouts are just dead wrong. Many of our members can afford to buy quality exercise equipment for home use (and many, in fact, do). But they choose to work out in our centers because of the socialization, friendships, companionship and interactions that they get when they join us. It may come slowly, but just watch; there will be a resurgence to the fitness/wellness industry and it will be huge.

5 Tips for Resuscitating your Wellness Center

Published February 11, 2021

Webinar: 5 Tips to Resuscitating your Wellness Center.

Click on the link below to view the latest HPA webinar: 5 Tips for Resuscitating your Wellness Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Don Doyle, HPA Vice President of Operations, has over 30 years of experience in the Medical Wellness Industry. Join us as Don shares his top 5 tips to get your wellness center through these challenging times.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/recording/8739604925741316364

Don Doyle, Senior VP – Healthplex Leadership Team

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Don Doyle, Senior Vice President of Operations

Don Doyle, Senior Vice President – Center Operations, is a valued member of the Healthplex Leadership Team. He has been involved in club operations for over 30 years and is responsible for implementing many successful growth and development strategies. In addition, Don has been a featured speaker at IHRSA, Club Industry, and Medical Fitness Association’s annual conferences. Furthermore, his topics include Managing Based on Industry Benchmarks and Bridging the Gap from Clinical Services to Retail Wellness. He holds a BS in Biology from LaRoche College and a M.Ed. in Exercise Physiology from Slippery Rock University. Don and his wife Josie have four adult children and recently welcomed their first granddaughter. Don is an avid runner and competes in many local and destination races. Undoubtedly, HPA is thankful to have Don on the Healthplex Leadership Team!

Cabrini Grant Enrollee Sees Changes

Published February 2, 2021

Daniel Demonstrates Exercises at the SBH Fitness Center

Daniel Bonilla, Director of Clinical Integration at the St. Barnabas Healthplex Fitness Center, can see that his efforts are changing lives in ways he never could have imagined. In fact, the impact of what he is doing , particularly in an age of Covid, sometimes leaves him in tears. “It’s not just the numbers on the scale that we are changing, but the way these people look at life,” says Bonilla. Healthplex is proud to be a part of this program. Cabrini Grant Enrollee Sees Changes – SBH Medicine.

Diabetes Prevention Program – Anderson Health

Published January 25, 2021

In early January, Anderson Health & Fitness Center received
full recognition for its in-house Diabetes Prevention Program from
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the
Department of Health and Human Services. Moreover, this certification states
that AHFC meets all the criteria established by the CDC.

“This designation is reserved for programs that have effectively delivered
a quality, evidence-based program that meets all of the standards
for CDC recognition,” states Miriam Bell, Team Lead for the National
Diabetes Prevention Program. She continues, “As the Team Lead,
it is immensely gratifying to see the science of diabetes prevention
being implemented to improve the public’s health. It is programs
like yours that are turning the tide in the fight against the epidemic
of type 2 diabetes.”
Anderson Health & Fitness Center is planning to kick off
this year’s Diabetes Prevention Program in March. Therefore, community
members that are at risk for prediabetes are encouraged to
participate. According to the CDC, 1 in 3 adults have prediabetes.
Undoubtedly, these high-risk individuals could develop type 2 diabetes within 5 years, without taking any action to change lifestyle. “This is
a really big deal for us,” says Adam Hodges, General Manager of
Anderson Health & Fitness Center. “We are leading the way in the
fight to prevent type 2 diabetes. In addition, I am incredibly proud of my team
and know that the ultimate reward is the positive impact this will
have on our community.”

Beverly J. Slavic Memorial Annual Award

Published January 19, 2021

Congratulations to Renee’ Clark -McDonald

Congratulations to Renee’ Clark-McDonald Healthplex Associates 2020 recipient of the Beverly J. Slavic Memorial Award. Each year, HPA selects an individual who best represents the Company’s values through innovation, customer service, teamwork, and dedication. 2020 was a year that caused us to face unprecedented challenges and Renee’ Clark-McDonald played a pivotal role in helping HPA continue our mission in this brave new world. For this reason, Renee’ is an award winner that we would all agree is the “people’s favorite”.