Medical Fitness Association FAQs
Medical Fitness Questions
What is the Medical Fitness Association?
The Medical Fitness Association is a professional membership based association dedicated to the success and delivery of medically supervised, integrated, outcomes and accountability-based fitness and exercise platforms. We are the only authentic organization dedicated to the medical fitness difference and integrated products and services as the prescription for better healthcare delivery. Medical Fitness Association provides service and support to medical fitness professionals by providing industry guidelines, continuing education programs, outcome data and benchmarks, facility certification, networking opportunities, and ongoing research.
What makes a medical fitness facility different from the traditional health club?
The Medical Fitness Association is committed to delivering the following values:
- To be financially self-sustaining
- Serve members and non-members
- Be more than a building
- Provide services to all ages within the community
- Respect privacy
- Encourage social connectivity through fitness and wellness awareness
- Be integrated with outpatient medical services
- Recognize the importance of proper nutrition and diet with medical integration
- Commitment to physician support and oversight
Who are your members?
The Medical Fitness Association membership is for anyone who has a commitment to the medical fitness industry. Our membership includes:
- Hospital CEOs and administrators, hospitals, management companies, multipurpose facilities committed to physician support and oversight
- Physicians, medical directors, clinicians, physical therapists, and nurse practitioners
- Fitness center directors and managers, medical fitness professionals, and healthcare administrators
- Healthcare businesses and marketing directors
- Fitness professionals, exercise physiologists, athletic trainers
- Industry Partners that serve the medical fitness industry
- Students and professors in exercise science and related health care delivery programs
Why should I become a member?
Nobody keeps you more up-to-the-minute and aware about the medical fitness industry than Medical Fitness Association. No other membership offers you as much to grow professionally or advance your career in delivering this much-needed platform to serve your community. Join our email list and receive the latest news!
- Benchmarks for Success
- Access to in-depth research on the latest industry trends
- Information on programs, practices, operations from medical fitness centers around the country and more
- Vital data and leading edge resources help members formulate standards that optimize success
- Professional Development and Guidelines for Operations
- The Medical Fitness Association offers an Annual International Conference, Regional Chapter Meetings, webinars, and educational programs to provide unique learning and networking opportunities
- Promoting the Difference
- Medical Fitness Association membership offers the seal of approval that people can trust
- Educate the public of the advantage and innovative services a medically integrated health and fitness center can offer to it’s community
- Identifies your organization as a leader in proactive healthcare
Do I have to be a certified facility to become a member of the Medical Fitness Association?
Not at all! The Medical Fitness Association offers several levels of membership for all members of the medical fitness community. However, we do encourage medically integrated centers, who are ready to take the next step of receiving the seal of approval for meeting the highest industry standards, to seek facility certification.
General Questions
Does the Medical Fitness Association have a list of preferred companies?
The Medical Fitness Association supports its Industry Partners. We have a list of our Partners on our homepage. We encourage and promote our Partners, because they are committed to the philosophy and spirit in delivering medically based fitness and exercise platforms. Members needing products and services should consider these companies that deliver exemplary services to our members and facilities.
What is the Medical Fitness Center Facility Certification?
- The Medical Fitness Association Facility Certification program launched in 2008 in the United States. There are currently 45 Certified Facilities.
- First certification offered specifically to facilities in the medical fitness industry that provides physician approval and referral.
- Based on the Medical Fitness Association publication, Standards and Guidelines for Medical Fitness Center Facilities.
- Certification process involves an in-depth review of a facility’s adherence to the prescribed standards and guidelines for delivering a medically sponsored, integrated, accountability based fitness and exercise platform.
- Certification process is an integral part of ensuring the quality and safety of the facility’s programs and services that are necessary to meet the vital role that medical fitness centers perform.
- Recognized as the mark of excellence in the health and fitness industry.
- Click here to review more certification details.
What are the Fitness Facility Director Credentials?
The Medical Fitness Association saw the need to improve the professionalism in management throughout the fitness industry and to that end created two Management Credentials for the Fitness Industry. As American healthcare evolves over the next decade, a greater emphasis on prevention and health risk management will begin to take center stage. We want to help all fitness facilities be prepared to safely handle the referrals that may come their way. The two credentials, the Fitness Facility Director Certification (FFD) and the Medical Fitness Facility Director Certification (MFFD), were developed to help prepare the entire industry for this transformation of health care. The exams are based on 9 primary tasks of the facility manager and over 150 knowledge statements. More information is available under the certifications tab on the MFA website.
- The Fitness Facility Director Certification is designed to enhance the knowledge of directors of health and fitness facilities throughout the entire fitness industry and to introduce a few concepts surrounding medical fitness. This is the foundational credential for management and is a pre-requisite before being able to sit for the second exam.
- The Medical Fitness Facility Director Certification is specifically designed for managers and directors of medically integrated fitness facilities who understand the importance of prevention, exercise as medicine and full integration of their facilities into the local continuum of care. This credential covers the same content areas as the Fitness Facility Director, but delves more specifically into the clinical aspects of providing medically integrated programming throughout the entire facility.
What is the Medical Fitness Week and can my facility participate?
A Medical Fitness Association initiative, designed to promote an increase in physical activity levels in all ages and to highlight the medical fitness difference. During this international event, medical fitness centers and communities are asked to offer programming that focuses on teaching families the skills they need to develop healthy lifestyle habits. We encourage all our members to have their facility participate in a number of ways including:
- Health Fairs
- Educational Seminars
- Demonstrations
- Open House
- Local School Activities
- Senior Citizen Participation
- Fun Run
Many facilities choose to participate by entering in the Aspire 2012 National Walking Challenge: 70,000 Steps in 7 Days. This program encourages local communities to get up and move by striving for 70,000 Steps in 7 Days from each participant. Centers can use this event as a fundraiser and donate all monies raised to local programs and scholarship funds in the fight against obesity or other health related issues. The challenge involves wearing a pedometer and tracking how many steps a day a person is achieving. There are two categories in this program, total steps and the average step per person. This program takes place once a year in April.
What is the Medical Fitness Institute?
Once a year, the Association offers an inclusive three day program that is dedicated to educating future industry leaders.
- Focuses on a curriculum directly related to the operational success of medical fitness centers that can make all the difference in the future success of your facility and your career.
What are the Medical Fitness Association Regional Chapters? What region does my facility belong to?
Within the Medical Fitness Association there are six regional chapters which act as components of the Association. Regional Chapters allow professionals in the medical fitness industry to network more directly and frequently.
Objectives:
- Introduce potential members to the Medical Fitness Association
- Develop future leaders for the Medical Fitness Association
- Broaden participation in the Medical Fitness Association activities nationally
- Networking
- Provide educational opportunities for all Medical Fitness Association members
- Share information with colleagues in the region
- Input on public policy positions
- Participate in discussions on the Medical Fitness Association’s role in public education, public relations, healthcare policy and reimbursement issues
What publications do you offer?
The Medical Fitness Association offers the following publications:
- Medical Fitness Association’s Standards and Guidelines for Medical Fitness Center Facilities
Published in conjunction with Health Learning, this expanded edition of the Standards and Guidelines features a set of nationally derived parameters that are applicable to the design and operation of a medical fitness center. Included are sample job descriptions, a Facility Certification checklist, policies and procedures, and industry resources. If your facility is planning to apply for certification, we highly recommend the purchase of this publication. - Benchmarks for Success
Benchmarks for Success, the eighth edition, is the most comprehensive, up-to-date resource of its kind in the medical fitness industry. It provides a broad and valuable range of information about medical fitness centers across the country, including facility features, programming, financial data and membership information. The guide provides statistics on the growth and profitability of the industry that are especially pertinent to the development, staffing, management, programming, and marketing of medical fitness centers.
Where can I find the Medical Fitness Association W-9 Form?
You can find the W-9 Form here.
Who do I contact for more information?
If you have any questions or concerns, please fill out our Contact Us.
Current Member Questions
Where do I enter my ID number to login?
You no longer need an ID number to login. Your username should be your first and last name (ex. JohnSmith).
I have forgotten my password/never received a password.
Please go to the login page, click the “Lost your password?” link on the login screen. You will be able to change your password by entering your email.
Who are your members?
The Medical Fitness Association membership is for anyone who has a commitment to the medical fitness industry. Our membership includes:
- Hospital CEOs and administrators, hospitals, management companies, multipurpose facilities committed to physician support and oversight
- Physicians, medical directors, clinicians, physical therapists, and nurse practitioners
- Fitness center directors and managers, medical fitness professionals, and healthcare administrators
- Healthcare businesses and marketing directors
- Fitness professionals, exercise physiologists, athletic trainers
- Industry Partners that serve the medical fitness industry
- Students and professors in exercise science and related health care delivery programs
Where can I register for upcoming events, such as webinars, the Medical Fitness Institute, Regional Meetings, Medical Fitness Week or the Annual International Conference?
Please go to our events calendar and click on the event you would like to attend and complete the necessary registration form(s). You will receive an automated email with more information on the event you have registered for.
How much are CECs and CMEs with a membership?
With a Medical Fitness Association membership, all CECs are complimentary. Please note that approved credits and contact hours will differ from each webinar or event.
I can‘t seem to find my facility in the Facility Locator. Why isn’t it there?
Our facility locator is a work in progress. Please contact us if your facility is not in the directory.
Can my facility purchase an ad for a job opening?
We offer job opening advertising for all MFA members and Industry Partners. Click here to contact us about your job opening.
How do I become more involved in the Medical Fitness Association?
There are many ways to become more involved within the Association. Your support is always welcome through committee involvement. Click here to contact our team regarding our committees.
I am a Medical Fitness Professional and I would like to submit educational materials for a presentation.
Generally, we make an open call for submissions at the beginning of each calendar year through email blasts and a registration form on our website. Submit your presentation.