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Hotel owners help front-line health workers

BY KRISTINE CANNON Progress Staff Writer

Caliber CEO Chris Loeffler’s wife, Abbie Loeffler is a Mayo Clinic registered nurse who works the COVID-19 floor.

After she shared the concerns her fellow nursing and medical personnel had of possibly bringing the virus into their respective homes, Loeffler and Caliber COO Jennifer Schrader brainstormed how they could support those on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis.

Within 24 to 48 hours, the Scottsdale-based real estate investment firm launched Operation Sleep Safe.

see CALIBER page 24

Scottsdale-based real estate investment firm Caliber launched Operation Sleep Safe on April 1. Operation Sleep Safe offers a complimentary nights-long stay at five of their hotels in the Valley, including Hampton Inn and Suites Scottsdale Riverwalk. (Pablo Robles/Progress Staff Photographer)

Scottsdale man invents new stretch machine

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Progress Staff Writer

Jonathan Hyams was working out at a gym when he found it difficult to use a “one-size-fits-all” stretch machine.

“As I stretched, I realized the machine lacked an adjustable seat, making it hard for users to position themselves according to their height and stature,” Hyams said.

“In addition, I noticed there were no designated pieces of equipment at my gym for anyone to stretch their calves.”

Hyams had an epiphany. Already producing exercise and medical rehabilitation equipment, the Scottsdale man launched his own—the Nitrofit Limber Pro Stretch Machine.

“I always use a stretch machine to stretch out before my workouts,” Hyams said. “I was sitting on this machine and

Jonathan Hyams founded Medvibe in 2007 when he was 24. (Courtesy Jonathan Hyams)

suddenly I got this thought in my head: Every other piece of equipment in this gym adjusts to fit whoever is using it. Shouldn’t this piece of equipment not be one-size-fits-all? That’s when it hit me.

“I own a fitness company. I watched a taller person struggle, and a smaller female get in. I figured out people couldn’t stretch their calves.” The average stretching machine uses a fixed-seat design that does not allow its users to adjust the distance between the seat and the handlebars. The Nitrofit Limber Pro Stretch Machine is the only one in the marketplace with an adjustable seat and calf-stretching station. The machine is compact and can be used without a personal trainer or gym buddy.

“The patented sliding seat design ensures that the Nitrofit Limber Pro is the

As a result, front-line employees of local hospital networks and healthcare providers – including Banner Health, Mayo Clinic, Dignity Health, HonorHealth and Valleywise Health – can stay at any of the five participating Caliber-owned hotels free for up to 14 days

The total value of the donated rooms is around $225,000.

Days after announcing the program on April 1, all five hotels — including Hampton Inn and Suites Scottsdale Riverwalk — were completely booked for the first couple of weeks.

“The demand has been incredibly high,” Schrader said. “So, we’ve actually doubled our commitment to this: We’re doing 10-room nights per hotel now.”

The other four hotels include Crowne Plaza Phoenix Airport, Holiday Inn Chandler, Hilton Phoenix Airport, and Holiday Inn Phoenix Airport North.

Schrader added that they now also have “hundreds” of reservations and “the phones are ringing with a lot of inquiries coming in.”

“We have a team of first responders out in L.A. ... and they’re scheduled to fly home this week. They had heard about the program and said, ‘Could we come straight from the airport to your

hotel and stay for 14 days?’ Definitely, the word has gotten out, and we’re getting a lot of inquiries on it,” she said.

Any professionals on the front-line, from doctors and nurses to paramedics and more, are welcome to participate in Operation Sleep Safe.

“It’s been really, really positive,” Schrader said of the response, “not only from the medical professionals and the frontline responders that are calling but also from our community in general.”

For example, they received interest from the owner of a transportation company – a former veteran – who asked how he can help provide transportation to the medical professionals in the program.

“He said, ‘I love this program. I want to help however I can. If you find people need transportation from place to place, I’d be happy to help participate and support,’” Schrader said.

If the crisis continues past May 31, Caliber plans to re-evaluate Operation Sleep Safe and possibly continue the program.

“It’s really opened our eyes to the needs of our community, the needs of our state,” Schrader said. “Caliber is happy to expand the program if the need persists and we have available guest capacity. All of us need to come together and help as best we can.”

SCOTTSDALE PROGRESS | WWW.SCOTTSDALE.ORG | APRIL 12, 2020

Caliber also donated 12 roll-away beds for doctors and nurses putting in long shifts after receiving a call from a local hospital.

“We were able to reach out to affiliates within the hospitality industry and have additional donations made,” Schrader said.

She added that Caliber plans to continue to brainstorm ways to give back to the community.

“We’ve internally started to have discussions of how we can keep a program like this going. Potentially, it could be through our Caliber Foundation, which we launched this year, but something that we can continue to support our community even after the COVID crisis is over.

We don’t know what that’s going to look like yet, but it’s really opened our eyes to the needs that various medical professionals and frontline responders have in any sort of crisis,” Schrader said.

Caliber hotels aren’t the only hotels opening their doors to the medical community.

More than 300 Arizona hotels are participating in American Hotel and Lodging Association’s (AHLA) Hospitality For Hope Initiative, which identifies hotel properties that have offered to provide temporary housing for emergency and healthcare workers.

More than 15,000 hotels across the country have signed up for AHLA’s new initiative that has already identified a total combined 2.3 million rooms located in close proximity to established healthcare facilities.

“’Hospitality for Hope’ is just one of the many ways that our hotels are helping those in need in our communities during this time of crisis,” said Kim Sabow, president and CEO of the Arizona Lodging and Tourism Association.

Those taking part in Operation Sleep Safe must present at check-in valid employee identification, along with a current photo identification, like a driver’s license, and a valid form of payment to cover any incidental expenses.

Food and beverage offerings may be limited through May 31 based on food safety recommendations.

Employees can stay a maximum of 14 days and rooms are based upon availability.

“We just really want to convey to the medical professionals and anyone else who’s first responders and also the essential workers how thankful we are that they are keeping things going, that they’re keeping us safe,” Schrader said.

Information: caliberco.com, ahla. com

FITNESS ���� page 23

only stretch machine available that can be adjusted on the fly to fit your height and reach,” Hyams said. “The adjustable height calf stretch board adds a very beneficial stretch to the machine making it the most valuable and effective home stretching machine available today.”

The NLP is a home/semi-commercial device that assists its users through a variety of stretching exercises. Each device comes with an illustrated exercise guide on the handlebar’s mounted placard. Users then hold a set of handles in front of them and use the illustrations to guide them in how to position their body in order to stretch a specific muscle group.

Users activate gravity by leaning back in a chair outfitted with a knee pad, a backrest and foot pedals. The chair is mounted to a bearing which allows the chair to pivot away from the handles.

As the user leans back, more force is placed on their bodies allowing them to attain a deeper stretch using only their own body weight.

The NLP is most commonly used to reduce muscle stiffness and back pain, but it can also be useful for athletes, chiropractic patients or the everyday person looking to get a deep and effective stretch.

Everyone needs to stretch for optimal health. Regular stretching improves flexibility, reduces the risk of injury during exercise, increases range of motion, increases blood flow, relieves stress and helps to reduce back pain.

“I would say the majority of our customers are 40-plus,” he said. “At chiropractic offices, they’re put you on a Precor machine. If you think about it, a lot of people who are older go to chiropractors to mitigate pain. Additionally, when I go to LA Fitness, I see a lot of older people using a Precor machine. Mine is easier and more comfortable to use.”

Hyams said it’s especially important with the advent of COVID-19, coronavirus, and folks working at home.

“In this current economic time, a lot of people are going to be working from home and not in the office walking around as much,” Hyams said.

“We need to get up and stretch regularly. All these people who went to the gym are no longer able to go. We need something like this now—and we need an affordable option.”

The Nitrofit Limber Pro Stretch Machine is part of Hyams’ company Medvibe, which distributes its products across North America and has been sold through costco.ca, walmart.com, sears. com and amazon.com.

Hyams has been passionate about fitness since he was a seventh-grade stu

dent in Tucson. “I got heavy into weight training then,” he said. “This has been my passion ever since. It’s something I maintain. I go to the gym five days a week. It’s good for mental health, too. Physically, it’s good to be agile and physically strong.

“I’ve done all sorts of intramural or club sports. I love the endorphin rush. I love the feeling of the workout.”

Hyams founded Medvibe in 2007 when he was 24 years old. He waited tables full time and took “any gig I could to fund it, to get it going.” In 2013, Medvibe was accepted into costco.ca (Costco Canada).

Medvibe also offers a Nitrofit Deluxe Plus whole-body vibration machine and Nitrofit FitRoll Vibrating foam roller through costco.com as well as on amazon and direct from its website. Its target market is those older than 40.

Information: 1-888-861-0480, nitro�it�itness.com or amazon.com