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The Medical Fitness Association’s Highest Award Given in Memory of MFA Founding Member
November 16, 2021–Pinehurst, NC: The Medical Fitness Association (MFA) is pleased to announce that Kevin McHugh, COO at The Atlantic Club in NJ, is the 2021 recipient of the Hank Boerner Pioneer Award. This is the highest award given by MFA in memory of Hank Boerner, a founding member of MFA who passed away in 2012. Boerner was the Director of the North Mississippi Medical Wellness Center for 20 years. He was a pioneer who understood the critical role of medical fitness in the lives of a community. The award was presented to McHugh at the MFA Annual Conference in San Antonio last month.
“Kevin has truly been a pioneer in the fitness industry, especially during the pandemic,” said David Flench, CEO of the Medical Fitness Association. “We are honored to recognize his accomplishments in raising the bar for the medical fitness industry and being out in the forefront to advocate for the importance of fitness in public health.” Over the years with MFA, McHugh has served as the MFA Marketing Committee Chairperson, he is a Fellow of the MFA, has served on the MFA Foundation Board, and currently serves on the MFA Board of Directors. Although The Atlantic Club is a commercial facility, it has achieved MFA Facility Certification as a medical fitness facility as well.
In addition to his efforts with MFA, McHugh has worked tirelessly as a change agent to bring the fitness industry together in order to speak with one united voice. In McHugh’s keynote address, entitled “The Future of Fitness” at the recent MFA Annual Conference, he shared that gyms were considered “super-spreaders” and “no different from bars, restaurants, and casinos” during the pandemic. As a result, many fitness facilities closed and some will never reopen. McHugh played a key role in the creation of the New Jersey Fitness Alliance to work with the NJ Governor and state officials to reopen the state’s fitness facilities safely. He also serves on the National Health & Fitness Alliance (NHFA) which was created to unite the advocacy, public affairs and lobbying efforts of the health and fitness industry in the US. “I believe he does indeed represent the spirit of service that Hank did for MFA,” added Flench.
McHugh commented, “I am very proud and humbled to receive this very special recognition by The Medical Fitness Industry and share it with Patricia Laus, owner and founder of The Atlantic Club and the entire outstanding and passionate Atlantic Club Team who are committed to bringing healthier outcomes to our members and all in our community.”
About the Medical Fitness Association
The Medical Fitness Association (MFA) is a non-profit, 501(c)(6), professional membership organization whose mission is to foster opportunities for the development and operational success of medically integrated fitness centers. MFA advocates for the industry, provides industry standards, educational programs, benchmarks, outcome measurements, professional development, and networking opportunities for the medical fitness industry.