Help The Community Pull Through The PandemicNo matter where you are in the country today, your Hospital has been effected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Some worse than others, but all have felt the effects. What can the Medical Fitness Center do to support their hospital? Healthplex Associates (HPA) has a variety of answers, here are some of the most impactful:
· Community Education – Who better to educate the community on the benefits of regular exercise as it relates to Covid-19, than their Medical Fitness Center? People who exercise regularly and then test positive for Covid-19 are less likely to experience more severe outcomes. Creating community-based marketing and programming should be an imperative for all Medical Fitness Centers. Fight Fear with Fitness!
· Vaccination Communication – Several HPA Centers have been used as “pop-up” vaccination locations. With most hospital ER’s and clinics overwhelmed, the Medical Fitness Center can be a suitable and convenient location to offer vaccines to the community.
· Team Support – “Do what it takes!” has been the mantra of my local hospital. Like many hospital systems throughout the country, a severe nursing shortage has resulted in an “all hands on deck” mentality. Volunteer time and support your hospital team in their time of need. Answer phones, transport patients, simply put, be there for whatever is needed.
· Fiscal Responsibility – The past 18 months has resulted in a roller coaster of restrictions, closings, mandates, and state of emergencies. A responsible Medical Fitness Center must control costs accordingly and aggressively.
· Stress the Continuum of Care – The importance of a robust EMR referral program for your Centers clinical integration program is higher now due to the Covid-19 pandemic. All patients being discharged should be made aware of the wellness resources available to them. Medical Fitness Center staff have a responsibility to maintain an ongoing line of communication with hospital physicians and clinicians about the process of referring patients to the Center.
Be a strong service line and partner for your hospital. Be proactive. Do what it takes!
Author:
Ryan Barr
HPA Assistant Vice President- Operational Support
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.