UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont earns national recognition

Oct. 25, 2006

UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont earns national recognition

CHAPEL HILL – UNC Health Care’s UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont has been honored as a recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award by the Medical Fitness Association (MFA), a national organization focused exclusively on hospital fitness and wellness.
     
The award identifies the UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont as an innovator in the medical fitness industry. More specifically, Distinguished Achievement Award winners are recognized as exceptional facilities that contribute significantly and consistently to the advancement and/or recognition of the industry, openly share their expertise with other facilities, and serve as role models for other facilities. 
     
The Distinguished Achievement Award is presented to four facilities around the country each year; one is awarded to a new facility and the other three are awarded to facilities within different size categories. The 52,000 square foot UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont received the distinction amongst all medical fitness centers larger than 50,000 square feet.
      
“Receiving this recognition marks a significant achievement for UNC Wellness Centers and all of UNC Health Care,” said George Wayson, executive director of the facility. “We want the community to know that staying healthy goes far beyond going to see a doctor after your health is already compromised. This award demonstrates that our efforts are paying off - that the community is beginning to understand UNC Health Care’s ability to impact community health outside of the hospital setting.”
     
The UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont offers many of the amenities traditionally associated with a high-end fitness facility, but adds a variety of clinical, health education, wellness, and other programs that distinguish the facility and programs from non-medically based gyms and fitness centers. Integration of clinical programs, programming for a variety of populations, community outreach programs, financial responsibility, strong membership retention, and a commitment to disease management were identified as crucial to this recognition.
     
According to Dan Lehman, director, operations for UNC Hospitals, the award also provides validation for UNC Health Care’s investment in wellness in the Triangle area. “The UNC Health Care System has made a major investment in health and wellness in the Triangle with the UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont, along with the three Rex Wellness Centers. UNC Hospitals is developing an additional UNC Wellness Center opening in Cary in mid to late 2008, and we are proud to have such a successful role model within our organization. While we expect the new facility to earn its own recognition when the time comes, we couldn’t ask for a better facility to emulate.”
     
Members of the UNC Wellness Center's management team will travel to Las Vegas, N.V.,  in November to formally receive this award at the MFA’s 12th annual national conference.

     
Media contact: Chris Yankee, (919) 843-2150 or cyankee@unch.unc.edu

About the UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont
The UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont is a medical fitness facility, owned and operated by UNC Health Care and serving Chapel Hill, Durham, and the surrounding communities. Open since 2002, the UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont supports UNC Health Care’s mission by providing a variety of clinical, rehabilitative, and preventive services to members and guests. The facility is dedicated to helping people achieve optimal health in a safe and supportive environment by integrating professional resources, innovative programming, and professional service. For more information, please visit www.uncwellness.com.