OTF also has its own medical staff that oversees the creation
of those templates, so the routines overall are consistently safe
and effective. Since the onset of the virus, our medical and PhD
doctors continually monitor CDC and WHO guidance. They keep
us updated and that’s what we follow. We listen to the state, the
county, and to our members, so we take everything into account.
Before we re-opened, we brought the entire staff back into
the studio where we did dry runs and trained on best cleaning
practices. It takes a lot to get everything done in between classes,
but we definitely have a system down.
By initially cutting the class time down to 45 minutes it gave us a
full half hour between classes to clean. We will keep moving forward doing what we’re doing and if we have a problem
we will just adjust.”
As OTF studio owners, you contribute to the health, sanity, and wellness of your community. Do you believe that
contribution is more important now than ever before?
Kurt and I have always felt fitness is super important. The best way to keep your immunity strong is to keep your
health going. When you work out, for that hour, you are circulating your blood. Your blood and your body are getting
more oxygen. All your systems are benefiting from that increased oxygen flowing through your body, plus your mind is
being activated. And now that’s more critical than ever.
When the coach has you focusing on an “all out” segment of the class, that’s where you put your focus, leaving behind
some of the stressors you came in with. We just always want to be improving and coming up with ways that make our
members understand their health and their fitness, to make it part of their lives.”
Doctor of Internal Medicine
Dr. Michael Saccente, D.O. is a well-respected primary care physician whose office is on Lakeview Road in Clearwater.
He is board certified in Internal Medicine and has hospital privileges at Largo Medical Center, Largo Medical Center/
Indian Rocks, and Morton Plant Hospital.
Has the focus been so shifted to battling the COVID crisis that other medical/surgical floors are struggling for the
needed support/supplies?
Initially there were struggles to define how exactly to deal with
COVID as there were a lot of unknowns; however, I never felt
we had any understaffed areas in the hospital or office settings.
As time has gone on, we have definitely become better at our
approach.”
You already work in a hazardous environment. Are you feeling
more challenged than ever to maintain your high standards of
care? How has your professional routine been impacted?
Yes, definitely more challenged to keep up an appropriate level
of care with all the restrictions from COVID. Professionally,
my routine has been one of making sure all PPE (Personal
Protective Equipment) is correctly used but, it has been much
more stressful above normal levels.”
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