Tuesday, November 4, 2014

GoodLife Fitness and the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre are advancing their work to link physical activity with cardiac rehabilitation and prevention.



GoodLife Fitness and Peter Munk Cardiac Centre collaborate further to improve heart health across Canada
Dr. Paul Oh named GoodLife Fitness Chair in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention

– The teams at GoodLife Fitness and the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (PMCC) have been hard at work for the last two years building a solid foundation for their unique, first-of-its-kind public/private collaboration to advance cardiac care and preventative programs. 

Today, they are thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Paul Oh as the inaugural GoodLife Chair in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention.  

Currently Medical Director of the University Health Network (UHN) Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Program, Dr. Oh will lead a comprehensive research program that will include investigating best practices in cardiac rehabilitation and analyzing cardiovascular databases to better understand long-term patient outcomes.

The collaboration brings together two leading Canadian health and wellness organizations to further enhance the world-class care cardiac rehabilitation patients receive at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, as well as develop an innovative approach to the continuum of care for patients with cardiac disease. 

GoodLife Fitness has committed $5 million to the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre with the goal of transforming the lives of Canadians affected by heart disease and helping prevent this reality for many.   

The collaboration supports the following resources: 
- GoodLife Fitness Centre of Excellence in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Medicine, which is internationally recognized for excellence in heart health and exercise and drives care and research in post-acute cardiovascular health and secondary prevention. 
- GoodLife Fitness Chair in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention. 
- An innovative club-based program developed by Peter Munk Cardiac Centre cardiac rehabilitation experts along with GoodLife fitness experts, that will help patients transition into the community and achieve life-long success in their cardiac rehabilitation and health. 

Media Alert
What: 
An event to recognize GoodLife Fitness for its role in establishing the GoodLife Fitness Centre of Excellence in Rehabilitation Medicine at PMCC. The event will mark the official announcement of the inaugural GoodLife Chair in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention. 

When: 
Monday, November 3, 2014; 6p.m. – 8p.m.; 6:30p.m. Remarks

Where: 
DeGasperis Conservatory, Toronto General Hospital

Who: 
David Patchell-Evans; Dr. Barry Rubin, Chair and Program Medical Director, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, UHN; Dr. Paul Oh, GoodLife Chair in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention; Mr. Jim Leech, C.M., Chair, Board of Directors, Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation. 

**Interview footage with Dr. Paul Oh is available for media use at: http://youtu.be/tPX3ys2-P3U

Quotes from special guests: 
David Patchell-Evans, Founder & CEO, GoodLife Fitness 
"At GoodLife, we are excited to see our collaboration with UHN and the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre grow and evolve," said Founder & CEO, David Patchell-Evans. "As a leader in the health and fitness industry in Canada and global advocate for exercise as an important contributor to overall health, we understand the significant benefit that innovative collaborations like ours will have on the quality of life and health outcomes of all Canadians. We are pleased to welcome Dr. Paul Oh to the GoodLife family, as the GoodLife Chair in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention. We are confident that with his leadership and expertise  the work done through the GoodLife Fitness Centre of Excellence in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Medicine and the research that his team will undertake will make an incredible impact felt around the world by heart patients and their families.” 

“I am very proud to have one of the great leaders and role models at GoodLife join us here today. Heather Evans has been a General Manager with us in Calgary for a number of years. She, along with her seven siblings have all experienced heart disease. Unfortunately, two of her siblings have passed away and another just received a quadruple bypass. Heather has made a significant impact on me and is a passionate advocate for the many benefits of exercise.”

Heather Evans, General Manager, GoodLife Fitness
“Exercise saves lives,” said Heather Evans, GoodLife Fitness General Manager. “It is exercise that is truly keeping me alive and well and strong. The only time that I have issues is when I don’t exercise. I believe that GoodLife and our teams are just like paramedics and doctors – they save lives. I will fight heart disease every day by going to GoodLife and staying active.” 

Dr. Paul Oh, GoodLife Chair in Cardiovascular Rehabilitation and Prevention
“I am most looking forward to taking on this exciting new role as Chair, supporting our unique and important collaboration with GoodLife, while continuing to build on the significant efforts to foster an environment where rehabilitation is the natural next step for all cardiac patients in recovery,” said Dr. Paul Oh, Medical Director, Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Program, UHN. “Statistics show only one third of heart patients who are recommended for cardiac rehab following a serious heart event and subsequent hospital stay actually take part in this critical form of therapy. Given the host of well-documented, life-prolonging benefits of cardiac rehab, coupled with the climbing rates of heart disease in Canada and worldwide, we need to dramatically increase those numbers through greater awareness and better access to a wider network of support including cardiac rehab-trained fitness professionals in the community---which we are now able to provide through this Centre of Excellence.” 

Dr. Barry Rubin, Chair and Program Medical Director, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, UHN 
“We conducted a broad and extensive search over many months for the best candidate with the precise blend of proven medical expertise, extraordinary vision and superior leadership skills necessary to head this uniquely-structured Centre of Excellence. Dr. Oh is far and away the ideal choice for GoodLife Chair,” says Dr. Barry Rubin, Medical Director, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. “His appointment furthers a long and globally-recognized history of excellence in care at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, which serves as the last stop for heart patients before their journey moves to a recovery and rehabilitation phase. A smooth and fluid transition from hospital bed to exercise environment with key support structures in place is pivotal to a patients’ success in maximizing and maintaining their heart health on their own, into the future.” 

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About GoodLife Fitness
Proudly Canadian since 1979, GoodLife Fitness is the largest fitness company in Canada. GoodLife is the largest privately owned fitness club chain by a sole owner and the fourth largest overall in the world. With over 320 clubs from coast-to-coast, including 70 Énergie Cardio and EconoFitness Clubs in Quebec, approximately 13,000 employees and more than 1 million Members, GoodLife is helping to transform the health and wellness of 1 in 35 Canadians every day. Motivated by GoodLife's purpose of giving every Canadian the opportunity to live a fit and healthy good life, David Patchell-Evans, Founder & CEO, strives to develop innovative partnerships and collaborations in all areas of health, fitness and wellness and continues to play a significant role in the healthcare system in Canada. GoodLife has achieved Platinum Status Canada's Best Managed Companies, as well as Platinum Level Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures.   Fit4Less by GoodLife is GoodLife's low cost and high value fitness club. It makes high quality fitness affordable and provides even more Canadians the opportunity to achieve their health and fitness goals.

About the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
The Peter Munk Cardiac Centre is the premier cardiac centre in Canada. Since it opened in 1997, the Centre has saved and improved the lives of cardiac and vascular patients from around the world. Each year, approximately 55,000 patients receive innovative and compassionate care from multidisciplinary teams in the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, and the Centre trains more cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons and vascular surgeons than any other hospital in Canada. The Centre is based at the Toronto General Hospital and the Toronto Western Hospital - members of University Health Network. www.petermunkcardiaccentre.ca 

About Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation
Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation raises funds for research, education and the enhancement of patient care at Toronto General Hospital and Toronto Western Hospital as well as their respective research arms, Toronto General Research Institute and Toronto Western Research Institute. www.tgwhf.ca

Media Contacts:
Krista Maling
GoodLife Fitness

519-661-0190, ext. 302

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