The Exercise Physiologist’s Entrepreneur’s Process of Working

Tommy Boone, PhD, MPH, MAM, MBA

Board Certified Exercise Physiologist

Increasingly, more Board Certified Exercise Physiologists are studying the entrepreneur’s process of working. They are creating their own exercise physiology healthcare businesses. They believe taking charge begins with understanding your purpose in life and, then, doing something productive about it. In the end, the change process begins from within.

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iven the academic mess exercise science and related non-profession specific degree programs are experiencing, college graduates are digging in and figuring out ways to survive the spending of their tuition dollars without finding a credible job. They remember the challenging content in the exercise physiology course with discussions about health, fitness, exercise testing and prescription along with their personal interest in health and fitness, which has helped them to pursue the American dream on their own. This has been interpreted as a necessity for personal and financial survival. It had nothing to do with their professors taking time from their research to show them how to make a living after completing the degree. In fact, for the most part, the faculty was essentially non-helpful when it came to talking about skills and jobs after college. But, this aspect of college teaching is changing.

What fueled their desire for success came from within. Their stories are interesting, especiallythat of Mr. Shane Paulson, a Board Certified Exercise Physiologist. He is a person who has always thought he “can” versus “can’t”. His attitude is positive with beliefs that support his life and that of his family. As CEO of PhysioLogicHuman Performance Systems, Shane’s primary objective is to find and partner with health and wellness providers nationally and internationally. His programs and support systems will enhance nearly any exercise based wellness program and expedites implementation and ROI of new initiatives. PhysioLogic works with multi-facility organizations, single entities and individual practitioners to build better practices that provide better physiological outcomes for their beneficiaries and better financial outcomes for their business.

The following interview took place at the Marcus Evans Long-Term Care CXO Summit in the Spring of 2015 regarding how LTC facilities can boost their revenue through wellness programs.

"Looking at wellness as a revenue source is a shift from how most long-term care (LTC) facilities look at providing exercise," says Shane Paulson, Board-Certified Exercise Physiologist and Chief Executive Officer, PhysioLogic Human Performance Systems LLC. "Wellness" has become an industry buzzword, but most facilities are simply providing access to an exercise room or class, which does not necessarily result in physiological benefits or an improvement in residents' quality of life. There is so much more that can be done to generate revenue, he adds.What is missing in the LTC industry today? What could be done better?

What is missing is a more preventative and proactive approach to maintaining functional capacity. Many people think that age itself causes the problems that older adults traditionally face, but weakness is not caused by age. Weakness is a normal physiological adaptation to a lack of exertion. In the Therapy model, we see improvement and subsequent decline if exertions are not maintained after discharge. Individuals have to utilize their strength, flexibility and endurance on a daily basis in order to maintain function!

This is more than having a few treadmills and strength equipment or a few exercise classes. We've developed programs, staff training and tools that work in every level of that care continuum. Residents need access to safe, effective and efficient exercise. Facility staff need training and support. Both need outcomes to better understand what is being gained or lost. Our database management tool, for example, involves a very specific and more sensitive assessment process than what is traditionally available. We organize all of the test data to keep track of how individuals progress, how their body reacts to stimuli or lack thereof.

Standardized outcomes help with adherence to exercise, motivating people to start and maintain healthy exercise routines. We call this more scientific approach to wellness, exercise physiology. Most facilities are lacking outcome-based, person-focused, revenue driven continuum programming. Even existing wellness programs can be improved and we guarantee it.

We know the LTC industry is about taking care of people, but a facility must generate enough revenue to stay open. This is when it becomes about the money! Many facility directors think that to generate revenue they need a new exercise center with equipment and a pool, but these are not requirements for effective programs and revenue production.

There is another side to this, which involves educating and supporting individuals of all function levels throughout the care continuum. The facility can charge more if it is providing more service. Our systems maximize participation and adherence so we help more individuals achieve better wellness while creating the sustaining financial resources for the facility.

Let us look at some direct and indirect revenue possibilities. We help skilled nursing care facilities increase restorative reimbursement. In the average 100 census facility, the reimbursement increase is USD 7,000 per month. Reducing costs by reducing the incidence of falls, incontinence and worker's compensation costs due to back injuries in staff are a few examples of indirect revenue or cost savings. In AL/IL facilities, the programs generate direct revenue while helping residents maintain functional capacity which translates to longer length-of-stay as an indirect revenue benefit. Home Health Agencies can use our systems in reimbursable ways, and outreach and employee wellness programs can create direct and indirect financial benefits.

What we have developed and what we are doing is new to the LTC industry. We have taken Wellness to the next level. We have helped single facilities and large multi-facility organizations, and we are so confident we can help everyone, we actually guarantee it. Even the act of learning more makes financial sense!

About the Long-Term Care CXO Summit Spring 2015

The Long-Term Care CXO Summit is the premium forum bringing senior level executives and solution providers together. The Summit offers an intimate environment for a focused discussion of key new drivers shaping the long-term care industry.For more information please send an email to:

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited. Marcus Evans Summits are high level business forums for the world's leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit:

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