Meet Greg Maschal, MEd, ACSM EP-C
Say hi to Greg Maschal, Director of UT Health East Texas Olympic Centers, a system of nine medically-integrated fitness centers throughout the east Texas region. Greg has a BBA in General Business from Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU) in Nacogdoches, TX and a Master’s of Education in Exercise Science from SFASU.
Greg began as an Exercise Specialist in May 2005 at one of UT Health’s outlying facilities in Chandler, TX. He was fortunate enough to be promoted to Fitness Manager of their flagship facility at Tyler in fall 2008. Just recently in May 2018, Greg accepted the position as Director of UT Health’s system of nine medically-integrated fitness centers throughout east Texas.
We caught up with Greg recently and here is what he had to say.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I feel extremely fortunate to be in a career field that has the potential to change lives and change people, day in and day out. I’m motivated everyday by working in an organization and with a group of individuals who have a contagious drive to improve the quality of life of our members, patients, and the communities we serve.
I enjoy collaborating with other departments throughout our healthcare continuum to integrate exercise into their patient’s treatment plans and seamlessly transition their patients into our fitness centers through membership or medical fitness programming.
What did your facility gain by becoming certified by the Medical Fitness Association?
In 2017, our flagship facility in Tyler, TX had the fortune of being the nation’s 49th medical fitness center to achieve the designation of a certified medical fitness facility. It was a significant stamp of approval for our center to be recognized as a facility that could improve the health of our community through integrating with our healthcare system in order to provide optimal care for our members and patients.
Along with certification came the obvious marketing benefits of being able to distinguish ourselves from others in the community as a true medical fitness center and to promote the medical fitness difference. In May 2018, our hospital was purchased by Ardent Health and we became part of the University of Texas healthcare system. Being a certified facility allowed our new administrators to quickly buy in to our mission of being an extension of care for the hospital continuum.
Lastly, the entire process of preparing for certification was a huge team building experience for our staff and something we were all extremely proud of achieving when we came out the other side as a certified facility. I would like to mention that this achievement was led by our previous director, Jeramie Hinojosa, who is heavily involved in the Medical Fitness Association.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I have a passion for hiking, camping, backpacking, and photography. I love visiting our national parks and seeing the natural wonders we have throughout our country, and having the ability to combine the aforementioned passions.
I also enjoy trail running. It is a great way for me to exercise, free my mind, and spend time with my dog, Denver. (Spoiler Alert: There’s a great photo of Denver in the photo gallery!)
Are you involved in any charity/community work?
I am the event co-chair for the 2019 Tyler Heart Walk coming up on Saturday, November 16. The American Heart Association’s (AHA) mission aligns very closely with our mission as a medical fitness center in developing programs and fundraising to reduce the incidence of heart disease and stroke. This has been a wonderful opportunity for me to grow as a leader and learn the ins and outs of running such a large scale event. It has also given me a lot of insight to the tremendous job the AHA does in raising money and creating awareness for such a great cause.
I am also chair of an advisory committee for a wellness specialist program at Tyler Junior College. This has provided a wonderful opportunity to provide a medical fitness perspective to a local college degree program.
Thank you, Greg and thank you for ALL the work you do!