FAU Medicine, Florida Blue Team Up to Offer Free Wellness Programs
The FAU Medicine Wellness Hub will host 10 wellness-related events each month, which will cover a variety of topics such as nutrition, fitness, disease prevention, healthy cooking, and mindfulness, among others.
Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine and Florida Blue, the state’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield plan, have teamed up to offer free community wellness programs and activities as part of an initiative – the “FAU Medicine Wellness Hub” – which just launched in Boca Raton.
Because FAU Medicine Wellness Hub activities are free and open to the public, pre-registration is required and space is limited. Programs focus on prevention, improving physical health, mental health and well-being, and on enhancing quality of life for adults of all ages.
Designed to promote wellness and healthy aging, these programs are being offered in tandem with the FAU Medicine Primary Care Practice, FAU’s first university-operated physician practice located in the Galen Medical Building in Boca Raton, near Boca Raton Regional Hospital.
The program officially “kicks off” on Thursday, Aug. 1 at 11 a.m. with “Gentle Yoga for Pain,” to help adults suffering from chronic pain due to arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine, lower back pain and other chronic pain conditions.
“There is a paradigm shift happening in medicine today, as we recognize that the old model of focusing solely on treating disease is insufficient. At the Schmidt College of Medicine, we are proud to be at the forefront of a new model of healthcare that emphasizes wellness in order to prevent disease, enhance the management of chronic illnesses, and optimize overall health,” said Phillip Boiselle, M.D., dean of FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine. “Simply stated, wellness matters to the health of individuals and to our communities. We are grateful to Florida Blue for this grant to support our wellness hub, as it’s exactly ‘what the doctor ordered’ and something our community needs. By offering an array of free wellness activities, we will provide community members with a menu of options to promote healthy lifestyle choices designed to improve overall health and well-being.”
The FAU Medicine Wellness Hub will host 10 wellness-related events each month, which will cover a variety of topics such as nutrition, fitness, disease prevention, healthy cooking, and mindfulness, among others. Professionals in each field will facilitate these engaging and informative classes, seminars, workshops and special events.
“We are incredibly proud to partner with FAU to provide these free healthcare programs in Palm Beach County,” said Penny Shaffer, Florida Blue Market president. “Whether it’s prevention, chronic condition management or mental health initiatives, Florida Blue is committed to the well-being of the community and excited to support Florida Atlantic University in helping individuals access quality care.
FAU Medicine opened in February in a 5,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility located at 880 NW 13th St., in Boca Raton, which offers adult primary care and preventive health services. The practice’s experienced team of physicians combine the latest innovations in primary care medicine with a personalized, patient-centered approach. Services provided at FAU Medicine include preventive care and wellness, routine check-ups, management of acute and chronic health problems, medical and laboratory tests, and specialized geriatric care.
As an academic center, FAU Medicine also offers patients the opportunity to participate in clinical trials and to engage in the latest research studies. The FAU Medicine Wellness Hub offered in partnership with Florida Blue is an extension of the cutting-edge programs and services offered by the university.
To register for wellness programs and activities or for more information, call 561-290-2877 or email wellnesshub@fau.edu. For a list of events in August visit faumedicine.org/wellnesshub/activities/this-month.php and to learn more about FAU’s wellness hub visit faumedicine.org/wellnesshub/.
-FAU-