History

The Industrial Athlete, Inc. is the pioneer of the “industrial athlete” concept. Dr. Warren Schildberg, Sports Medicine Physician, and Thomas Miller, Sports Medicine Consultant and former Executive Director of the American College of Sports Medicine, founded The Industrial Athlete in 1985.

Dr. Schildberg had studied the similarities between the “repetitive motion” injuries common in industry and “overuse” injuries common in sports. What was particularly interesting to him was the glaring differences between the traditional healthcare system that treated workers and the sports medicine model of treating athletes.

The sports medicine model had lower costs (approximately 1/3 that of traditional medicine) yet had higher quality care resulting in better outcomes. Schildberg and Miller theorized that the sports medicine model of healthcare could be introduced in industry at substantial savings, and The Industrial Athlete was born.

In 1987, a pilot program that included an in-plant fitness facility was developed at a major Detroit automobile manufacturing plant. One year later, an adjacent physical rehabilitation center was opened. The cost savings realized in the first year of operation greatly exceeded all start-up and operational costs for both facilities. The concept was subsequently incorporated in the company’s 1989 UAW contract nationwide.

Today, The Industrial Athlete has competitors in the field that they pioneered, but they still maintain a competitive edge in operations and cost savings to their clients. To find out more, request a free analysis of your healthcare and safety programs from The Industrial Athlete.