SARASOTA, Fla. (Jan. 2, 2020) – As millions of people embark on their 2020 New Year’s resolutions, Sarasota Memorial’s HealthFit renewed one of its own.
HealthFit - Powered by Sarasota Memorial announced today that it achieved recertification as a Medical Fitness Facility by the Medical Fitness Association (MFA). HealthFit remains the only certified facility in Sarasota, and one of just two in the state.
The Sarasota Memorial facility was the first in the state to achieve the certification in late 2016. That certification was effective for three years. To retain the designation, facilities must pass a rigorous recertification process, including an on-site inspection of medically supervised exercise programs and review of outcomes.
“The recertification represents an ongoing commitment to provide the safest and most effective environment to help individuals achieve their personal health and fitness goals,” said Kayla Murphy, manager of Sarasota Memorial’s HealthFit center on Clark Road. “This achievement can only be achieved because of the strong commitment from our staff, quality feedback from our members and exceptional support from leadership. We are proud to have been able to demonstrate to the surveyors the strong sense of community that we have cultivated for our members, and the high-quality programming we have developed to meet our community’s needs.”
Only 40 facilities nationwide have earned certification from the MFA. A number of key factors distinguish certified medical fitness centers, including:
- Active, regular medical oversight, and certified and licensed staff
- 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
- Written policies and procedures concerning user safety and the ability to respond appropriately to all emergencies
“As the incidence of chronic disease continues to rise, the need for more medically supervised outcomes and accountability-based Exercise is Medicine programs has never been more relevant in our industry than today,” said Robert Boone, FACHE, FMFA, president and CEO of the Medical Fitness Association. “It is clear that moving toward a population health prevention model of care with all its necessary components and guidelines is a herculean task. HealthFit - Powered by Sarasota Memorial has taken an important step toward filling a gap in the current care delivery model.”
Wondering what it means to be a member of a certified medically integrated fitness center? See for yourself during the free, interactive HealthFit Expo event on Saturday, Jan. 25, at HealthFit (located off Clark Road, a 1/2-mile west of I-75). Click here or call 941-917-7000 for more info on the HealthFit Expo: Discover the Power of Medically Integrated Fitness.
About HealthFit – Powered by Sarasota Memorial
As part of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, HealthFit is medically integrated with one of the top hospitals in the nation for quality, safety and patient care. For its members, that means a better, safer and more productive fitness experience. HealthFit is a 44,000-square-foot facility, with multiple workout stations and training areas, a state-of-the-art spinning studio, sports courts, group exercise rooms and two heated, indoor pools. More than 70 group exercise classes a week are offered for members, along with amenities like towel service, hot tubs, steam rooms and private massage therapy rooms. For information, call 941-917-700 or visit smhfit.com.
About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Sarasota Memorial is a regional medical center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with more than 900,000 patient visits a year. Sarasota Memorial’s 839-bed acute care hospital has been consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best, with superior patient outcomes and a complete continuum of outpatient services — from urgent care clinics and physician groups, laboratory and diagnostic imaging centers, to home health and skilled nursing and rehabilitation.
About the Medical Fitness Association
The Medical Fitness Association is a not for profit member organization, whose purpose is to lead in the development and operational success of medically integrated fitness centers impacting the “global health continuum of care” by providing research, industry standards, operational guidelines, educational programming, benchmarking, outcome measurements, professional development, and networking opportunities accomplished through its webinar series, regional meetings, Medical Fitness Institute, Annual Conference, individual and facility certifications, and publications.