Integrated Medical Fitness Model Planned for Project Wellness
Staff from the Winter Park Health Foundation (WPHF), the Peggy & Philip B. Crosby Wellness Center Y, and Winter Park Memorial Hospital (WPMH/Florida Hospital) will be attending the Medical Fitness Association International Conference next month in Orlando. The conference, entitled “25 Years of Prevention through Active Lifestyles,” will focus on the future of the integrated model of medical fitness and its impact on healthcare delivery.
In 2015, the WPHF Older Adults Work Group provided a grant to the Crosby Wellness Center Y which will prepare and enable the facility to become certified through the Medical Fitness Association. Currently, there are no facilities in Central Florida offering this level of service and certification. The certification process involves an in-depth review of a facility’s adherence to the prescribed standards and guidelines. A number of key factors distinguish certified medical fitness centers:
- Active and regular medical oversight
- Certified and licensed staff
- Written policies and procedures concerning user safety and the ability to respond appropriately to all emergencies
- Disease management and prevention programs
- Health-risk reduction and therapeutic-lifestyle programs
- Individualized health screening
- Testing and outcome tracking
- Quality management, with a focus on measurable results
- A focus on improving community health
“As we consider Project Wellness programming, we know that new models of care must be embraced if we are to truly improve community health and decrease healthcare costs. The integrated model of medical fitness is one opportunity to further explore how this can be accomplished through collaboration with our fitness and hospital partners,” said Diana Silvey, WPHF Program Director, Older Adults.
Set to open late 2018, Project Wellness will be the new home to the Peggy & Philip B. Crosby Wellness Center Y as well as a variety of programs and facilities focused on enhancing health and longevity (including health and wellness education as well as clinical services).
