Meet Dr. Matthew Kampert, a sport and exercise medicine physician with a dual appointment in Orthopedics and Endocrinology at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Kampert played sports as a youth, studied exercise physiology as an undergraduate and graduate student, and was inspired to go to medical school when he didn’t see enough physicians prescribing exercise as medicine. He trains all his medical school students, residents and fellows in exercise prescription.
When making exercise referrals to qualified exercise professionals, Dr. Kampert places the highest priority on working with exercise professionals that he trusts. He seeks out exercise professionals based on their personal qualities, academic backgrounds, and credentials.
He views exercise professionals as physician extenders that stand in for the physician when they can’t be there. Dr. Kampert aspires to educate and assist patients in becoming effective independent exercisers so that together we can improve the health and well-being of our communities. He values exercise professionals that can “connect with the patient, motivate the patient, engage with the patient, and keep them involved with exercise.”
According to Dr. Kampert, ”I want to refer my patients to someone who is going to help them succeed.” Exercise professionals who focus on outcomes and report out on metrics like fitness and strength changes, functional changes and quality of life build the most trust.
Dr. Kampert sees tremendous value in having a registry of registered exercise professionals readily available to healthcare providers. He appreciates that it “streamlines the process” of connecting patients to providers. Dr. Kampert also sees a registry as an especially important resource for physicians who recognize the importance of exercise but “are just too busy or it's outside their skill set or knowledge base to really get involved with exercise.” He believes that a registry must clearly identify how well trained the exercise professionals are.
During National Physicians Week (March 25-31, 2023), let’s take a moment to honor physicians like Dr. Kampert who help their patients achieve their best health outcomes by including physical activity assessment, prescription and referral to registered exercise professionals as part of patient care.
Check out our registry to find a registered exercise professional near you.
