Hospital-owned Fitness Centers - Why a Nurse should care
A trend in the hospital industry has emerged over the past few years that helps facilities expand their continuum of care into an array of rehabilitation and prevention programs. Hospital-owned fitness centers are springing up all over the country as hospitals seek to extend their care model and capitalize on what over 15,000 health and fitness centers nationwide already know: fitness and wellness is a healthy business with a strong growth forecast.
What’s driving this trend is a need for hospitals to look outside their traditional revenue model as state and federal regulations have, in many cases, hurt revenues. Hospital-owned medical fitness centers have grown by 19% annually since 1991, and there are now currently approximately 1,000 nationwide. Membership at these facilities has grown rapidly as well:
Such centers serve many purposes for the hospital. They:
- allow the hospital to be the community authority on health and wellness, which is consistent with the organization’s overall goals related to image and awareness,
- augment cardiac, orthopedic and other rehabilitation programs, and
- become outpatient care magnets, producing revenue and on-going referrals back to the hospital.
So why should a Nurse care about all this?
These centers offer many opportunities for nurses, both personally and professionally. For one, smart employers are recognizing the value of these centers as a recruitment and retention tool for employees. As an RN working at a facility, the Fitness Center offers a convenient place to grab a workout before, after - or sometimes even during - your shift. Many RNs find access to the Center is covered as part of their benefits plan. Further, since the Centers are fully integrated into the hospital's care plan, they offer programs and a staff more focused on health prevention than a traditional 'weights' gym. Programs can include various health screenings, nutritional recommendations and plans especially designed to accommodate those with pulmonary/lung conditions, heart conditions, hypertension and diabetes. Many people are intimidated by a traditional gym; you will likely find the atmosphere and clientele of a Hospital-owned fitness facility to be markedly different.
On the professional side, with the surging popularity of such Fitness Centers, and the skillset and knowledge needed to staff such a program, there is quickly becoming a real need for Nurses to work in these Centers, offering guidance, help and aiding in patient rehabilitation. While no formal specialty exists yet for 'fitness nursing' or 'sports nursing', opportunities abound. You can find a great article on this subject here. In New Jersey, many hospitals offer - or are working on now - creating such Medical Fitness Centers. Below is a (definitely) incomplete list of links to each hospital's fitness center page. If you know of more, let us know and we'll add them!
- Holy Name Hospital, Oradell
- Trinitas Hospital, Elizabeth
- The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood
- The University Medical Center at Princeton, Princeton
- St. Joseph's Wayne Hospital, Wayne
- CentraState Healthcare System, Freehold
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