Facility Welcomes Doctor Referrals

Making News:

In an effort to bridge the gap between the medical and fitness professions, Club Fit in Westchester County, New York, has created “HelpRx,” a physicians’ referral program designed to offer postrehabilitation and lifestyle enhancement. According to Terry Lanza, director of member and community events at Club Fit, doctors refer patients to the facility, where they meet with a HelpRx coach. The coach, says Lanza, “designs a customized program that includes a fitness plan; two weekly supervised appointments in the fitness center; and weekly contact with the coach, who tracks progress and submits monthly reports to the doctor if requested.”

Lanza believes that the program is successful because it offers participants a method for improving health and wellness in a nonintimidating atmosphere and also benefits doctors, who feel confident in knowing that patients sent to the club will receive appropriate services. “[Participants] feel special to be able to get such attention from a top-of-the-line health and fitness facility,” she says.