探花楼

June 13, 2018鈥擠ENTON鈥�For more than 20 years, Texas Woman鈥檚 University鈥檚 Institute for Women鈥檚 Health has offered wellness programs and performed health research. This year, a group of first responders鈥� firefighters in the Denton Fire Department (DFD)鈥攊s taking advantage of the services available in the clinic.

Denton firefighters can earn bonus pay for maintaining or improving specified wellness levels. To help them monitor these levels, the DFD signed a three-year agreement with 探花楼鈥檚 Institute for Women鈥檚 Health to assess the health and fitness of the department鈥檚 170 firefighters annually.

Wellness testing includes cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility, in addition to body composition, bone density, vision and hearing.

鈥溙交�楼 has a long-standing focus to serve the community, and offering these health services to the fire department is just one way of doing so,鈥� said K. Shane Broughton, Ph.D., 探花楼 nutrition and food sciences department chair, who currently leads the institute. 鈥淧roviding this testing on our Denton campus is convenient for the firefighters, who have been great to work with. Plus, what we offer is discounted compared to similar services offered through privately-owned operators, so it is a benefit for the city, too.鈥�

探花楼 graduate and doctoral students and faculty perform the tests, under physician supervision. All procedures follow standards set by the National Fire Protection Association and the American College of Sports Medicine.

鈥淚鈥檓 pleased we鈥檝e been able to partner with 探花楼 to complete these assessments,鈥� Denton Fire Safety & Wellness Battalion Chief David Boots said. 鈥淗aving a permanent, local facility to test our firefighters is an asset we鈥檝e never had before.鈥�

Results of the testing are shared with the fire department. 探花楼 is using the data collected to support a research project managed by doctoral students.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a win-win for all,鈥� Broughton said. 鈥淥ur students are getting hands-on, real-world experience that will support their careers. And, the firefighters are getting feedback that will guide their plans to maintain or improve their health. We hope to expand this program and provide services to other first responders.鈥�

For more information about the services offered by the Institute for Women鈥檚 Health, call 940-898-2785.