City Health Leaders Embrace Single Largest Training Rollout in Specialty Anywhere in World — Giving Practitioners New Tools to Combat Chronic Disease and Health Disparities
Massive Investment in NYC Health Care Workforce Will Have Positive Downstream Impacts on Millions of Patients, Helping Improve New Yorkers’ Lives and Reducing Health Care Spending
Initiative is in Addition to Training and Clinical Expansion Underway at NYC Health + Hospitals
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) today announced a new partnership — as a result of a massive $44 million investment by ACLM — to provide every New York City health care practitioner with free introductory training in nutrition and lifestyle medicine, enabling practitioners to integrate evidence-based content into their clinical practice to treat certain health conditions. The initial phase will include practitioners at 20 hospitals and health systems that serve millions of New Yorkers. The $44 million investment from ACLM will cover training for up to 200,000 doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, dietitians, and other health care professionals in New York City and is the largest lifestyle medicine training rollout in the world.
“A plant-based diet restored my eyesight, put my Type 2 diabetes into remission, and helped save my life,” said Mayor Adams. “Our administration has invested in expanding lifestyle medicine programming and plant-based meals at NYC Health + Hospitals, and now, we’re bringing this evidence-based model to all of New York City’s health care workforce. Thanks to a massive $44 million investment from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, foundational trainings will be available for free to 200,000 health care workers in New York City. Once again, we’re setting the standard for the rest of the nation, giving practitioners new tools to combat chronic disease and health disparities, and investing in a healthier city for generations to come.”
“ACLM is proud to make this investment in expanding the knowledge of health professionals in New York City and ultimately in better health for its citizens,” said Cate Collings, MD, FACC, MS, DipABLM, past president, ACLM. “New York City is truly blazing the trail nationally for public-private partnerships to enhance population health. Treating the root cause of chronic disease in this country, and especially lifestyle-related chronic disease health disparities, will positively change the trajectory of both quality of life and health costs. We applaud Mayor Adams and all the health care leaders in the city for recognizing what an impact they can make through this initiative.”
Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses evidence-based, therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary modality to treat chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and Type 2 diabetes. Clinicians certified in lifestyle medicine are trained to apply evidence-based, prescriptive lifestyle change to treat and, in some cases, achieve remission of certain common chronic conditions. Applying the six pillars of lifestyle medicine — a healthful plant-predominant eating pattern, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connections — also provides effective prevention for many common chronic conditions.
The initial group of participating hospitals and hospital systems includes:
- NYC Health + Hospitals
- BronxCare Health System
- The Brooklyn Hospital Center
- Calvary Hospital
- Episcopal Health Services
- Hospital for Special Surgery
- Maimonides Health
- MediSys Health
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Montefiore Health System
- Mount Sinai Health System
- NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System
- Northwell Health
- NYU Langone Health
- One Brooklyn Health System
- Richmond University Medical Center
- The Rockefeller University Hospital
- SBH Health System
- SUNY Downstate Medical Center-University Hospital of Brooklyn
- Wyckoff Heights Medical Center
Studies have shown there is a significant knowledge deficit among physicians when it comes to lifestyle medicine. For example, only about 14 percent of physicians reported that they had the foundational training to counsel their patients on nutrition, one of the most significant components of lifestyle medicine. This is a structural issue, as only approximately 27 percent of medical schools in the United States offer the requisite 25 hours of nutrition education in their programs. The foundational training offered through this partnership will help raise the level of education in the discipline across all medical and specialty areas and across practitioner levels, giving new tools to practitioners and new hope to patients struggling with common chronic diseases.
This initiative comes amidst staggering impacts of chronic diseases across the United States and in New York City. For example, 60 percent of U.S. adults have already been diagnosed with one chronic disease, with an estimated 40 percent diagnosed with two or more, and more than 100 million adults — almost half the entire adult population in the U.S. — have pre-diabetes or diabetes. Nationally, cardiovascular disease afflicts approximately 122 million people and causes roughly 840,000 deaths each year, or about 2,300 deaths each day. Overall diet quality is the single leading cause of premature death in the United States today, causing an estimated 500,000 deaths each year. The use of lifestyle medicine — in conjunction with efforts to address social determinants of health, the food environment, and other barriers to making lifestyle changes — is an extraordinarily powerful way to improve the health of individuals and communities.
The foundational training opportunity will include 5.5 hours of online, self-paced coursework, available for one year, and participants will be eligible for continuing education credits. The three courses in the online training package include a one-hour “Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine” course, a three-hour “Food as Medicine: Nutrition for Prevention and Longevity” course, and a 1.5-hour “Food as Medicine: Nutrition for Treatment and Risk Reduction” course. The training commitment in New York City builds on a recent commitment at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, in which ACLM donated 100,000 training scholarships for use nationwide.
To implement the training, executive teams from the participating hospitals and health systems will promote the training throughout their facilities. ACLM will support these leaders by also sharing best practices from other national health systems and inviting their participation in the ACLM Health Systems Council. Over the coming year, the Adams administration will continue working closely with ACLM to support the promotion and implementation of the training initiative. The city will continue to engage with executives from all participating entities to understand the impact of the training on practitioner awareness and adoption into clinical practice. Additionally, the Adams administration and ACLM will continue working together to reach practitioners that are not affiliated with these systems, such as those working in other medical networks, community health centers, and private practice settings.
“Over the last few years, we have asked a lot of our hospitals and health systems. They have had to pull together and treat COVID-19 patients, deploy vaccines, and screen for MPV. These have all been acute challenges that came to their doorstep. We are excited to now give back and invest in our health care professionals across the city to help fight health inequities in every community and to go upstream with our approach,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. “The announcement of this training partnership with ACLM, with the buy-in from every hospital and health system across the city, responds to the longstanding needs of our communities related to chronic diseases, such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. This initiative will provide new tools to every health care practitioner across the city and will thereby offer new hope to every person coming through their doors with a lifestyle-related chronic disease. Thank you to ACLM for their partnership and thank you to all the participating hospitals and hospital systems for making this a priority and working with us to make New York City healthier.”
“Thanks to Mayor Adams and Dr. McMacken, New York City’s public health system is a leader in lifestyle medicine,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD. “I’m proud that the city is partnering with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine to educate clinical providers across the city about the benefits of this specialty.”
“As a practicing clinician, I know that making lifestyle changes can do far more for my patients living with chronic illnesses than many medicines. And as a public health leader and epidemiologist, I know that healthy lifestyles are the best way to prevent the onset of chronic disease, in turn preventing untold suffering and staving off enormous moral and economic cost,” said New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “As providers, it starts with us supporting and educating our patients on how to adopt healthy lifestyle practices, but too many practitioners are not familiar or comfortable doing so. This is an opportunity for radical reform of the way we educate clinicians and deliver clinical care that prioritizes what really delivers the most value for health, not just the most volume of care. New York City is proud to lead the way in transforming medicine in this way, to combat our rising epidemic of diet- and lifestyle-related chronic diseases.”
“Today, by announcing a training partnership with ACLM, this administration establishes a new pathway for a healthier New York City. One of the pillars of lifestyle medicine is a healthy plant-based diet,” said Mayor’s Office of Food Policy Executive Director Kate MacKenzie. “We are working aggressively to ensure all New Yorkers have access to healthy, nutritious produce through our office’s ‘Food Forward’ plan.”
“Diet and other lifestyle behaviors play an enormous role in health outcomes, and yet nutrition and lifestyle change are underemphasized in many health professional training programs,” said Michelle McMacken, MD, FACP, DipABLM, executive director, nutrition and lifestyle medicine, NYC Health + Hospitals. “This partnership is truly groundbreaking, helping health care professionals leverage one of the greatest tools to improve patients’ lives. I applaud Mayor Adams, the health systems leaders, and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine for their leadership.”
“A significant share of all health care dollars spent in America is related to chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes — which is now showing up in children as young as 10,” said Kathleen Sebelius, 21st Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and former Governor of Kansas. “It is urgent that we reverse that trend to improve the health of the American people and save dollars in our health care system. The initiative announced today to educate the health care workforce in lifestyle medicine will have a positive impact on millions of New Yorkers through the prevention, treatment, and remission of many lifestyle-related chronic diseases. I welcome this model partnership between Mayor Adams’ office and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.”
“NMA, the largest and oldest national organization representing African American physicians and their patients in the United States, is excited about this initiative and applauds the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and Mayor Adams for recognizing the importance of offering this comprehensive training to all levels of health care practitioners,” said Dr. Garfield A. D. Clunie, 123rd president, National Medical Association (NMA). “Lifestyle and nutrition training for practitioners will allow for more comprehensive diagnoses and treatment plans for patients, especially those in minoritized communities who have been historically and systematically underserved by the health care industry. This training will be particularly impactful in our communities, where chronic disease prevalence is disproportionately higher.”
“Preventable chronic diseases account for the vast majority of deaths and health care costs in America. Kudos to ACLM and to Mayor Adams for leading this effort to train health care professionals on prescribing evidence-based lifestyle services to their patients that can help prevent, treat, and bring into remission some of the most common chronic diseases plaguing our citizens and weighing on our federal budget,” said Anand Parekh, MD MPH, chief medical advisor, Bipartisan Policy Center; and former deputy assistant secretary of health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Coupled with broader policy, systems, and environmental changes to help make the healthy choice the easy choice, this partnership will help create a healthier population.”
“Northwell’s mission is providing care to the communities we serve, and we have a keen focus on improving public health and health equity,” said Michael Dowling, president and CEO, Northwell Health. “As the largest health care provider in New York, with more than 81,000 health care professionals in our system, including 12,000 physicians and 19,000 nurses, we are committed and proud to support this program, as we believe an investment in our health care professionals in lifestyle medicine training is an investment in the overall health and wellness of our communities.”
“For too long, many Central Brooklyn residents have died prematurely, suffered disability, or been unable to live their best lives because of chronic diseases that can be prevented,” said LaRay Brown, CEO, One Brooklyn Health System. “One Brooklyn Health’s providers have this opportunity to become certified in lifestyle medicine, which will provide them the evidence- based tools to partner with our patients to make a difference in their lives and improve the overall health of the community.”
“This extraordinary effort provides training in lifestyle medicine to health care professionals in every borough, so that all New Yorkers can benefit, regardless of where they live,” said Robert I. Grossman, MD, dean and CEO, NYU Langone Health. “At NYU Langone Health, our longstanding commitment to health equity is likewise reflected in our approach to bringing our world-class care directly to the communities where our patients live and work. Through this initiative, Mayor Adams has shown that he is ‘all in’ with NYU Langone Health and other New York City hospitals to improve the health and well-being of all New Yorkers.”
“For years, we have sought to expand our health care offerings beyond the four walls of the practitioner’s office so that we’re not just treating disease but also promoting overall well-being,” said Dr. Philip Ozuah, president and CEO, Montefiore Medicine. “That vision has led to partnerships like our School-Based Health Initiative, which brings care directly to children, and the Project Bravo food pantry, which makes fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible to low-income New Yorkers. Mayor Adams’ resolute focus on preventing diet-related chronic disease will transform lives, further cementing New York City’s reputation as a leader in preventive medicine.”
“As leaders in integrative medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is at the forefront of understanding how lifestyle interventions impact overall health and can enhance well-being for patients in cancer treatment,” said Selwyn M. Vickers, MD, FACS, president and CEO, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “We look forward to collaborating with the mayor’s office and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and applaud this program that will benefit our staff, patients, and the communities we serve.”
“We are grateful for Mayor Adams’ continued commitment to engaging with each borough on the importance of physical activity, health, nutrition, and social connection. In communities with high rates of chronic illnesses, we must ensure our health care professionals are prepared with evidence-based, therapeutic lifestyle interventions to provide holistic and effective treatment. This partnership will help us achieve just that,” said David H. Berger, M.D., MHCM, FACS, CEO, University Hospital at Downstate. “As home to one of the first Lifestyle Medicine Interest Groups in the New York area, Downstate Health Sciences University is thrilled to expand our current offerings through this partnership and work to address health disparities in underserved communities.”
“SBH Healthcare System is excited to collaborate with Mayor Adams and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in providing training in lifestyle medicine and nutrition,” said David Perlstein, MD, president and CEO, SBH Health System. “Strategic partnerships and innovation are essential in recalibrating how we approach and deliver health care and educate our communities about the importance of health, wellness, and nutrition. We look forward to participating in this forward-thinking training program and implementing strategies focused on creating and promoting a more holistic approach to health care delivery, which will contribute to the health and wellness of the Bronx.”
“HSS applauds this initiative by the mayor’s office and ACLM, because it will help New York City and inspire communities nationwide to improve health and wellness,” said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). “This training will further advance the important work being done by the lifestyle medicine program at HSS, which focuses on the special needs of people who experience pain and functional challenges in the setting of lifestyle-related chronic disease.”
“Calvary, since our founding in 1899, has believed that you cannot treat any illness or disease on its own. You must treat the whole person — their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual care, and their family,” said Frank A. Calamari, FACHE, president and CEO, Calvary Hospital. “This is especially important in our areas of innovation and practice, palliative and end-of-life care. We support this training because it is complementary to Calvary’s values of compassion, caring, commitment, dignity, and non-abandonment — all of which are required as we fulfill our mission every day to relieve the suffering and improve the quality of life for our patients and their families. We look forward to learning and sharing the benefits of lifestyle medicine with the Calvary community.”
“BronxCare Health System continues to take an important leadership role in responding to the social determinants impacting the health and wellness of the Bronx Community,” said Suneel Parikh M.D., director of health equity, BronxCare Health System. “We strongly support and commend the efforts of the mayor's office and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in identifying and addressing this most important issue.”
“The American Heart Association applauds the mayor’s office to have health care professionals train in nutrition and lifestyle medicine,” said Rafael Ortiz, M.D., president, American Heart Association Board of Directors in New York City; and chief, neuro-endovascular surgery, Lenox Hill Hospital. “This year. the American Heart Association introduced Life’s Essential 8, key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health. The eight measures are eat better, be more active, quit tobacco, get healthy sleep, manage weight, control cholesterol, manage blood sugar, and manage blood pressure. Better cardiovascular health, with the help of improving one’s lifestyle, helps lower the risk for heart disease, stroke, and other major health problems.”
The lifestyle medicine initiative engaging hospitals and health systems builds upon educational opportunities in lifestyle medicine already underway at NYC Health + Hospitals. All clinical staff at Health + Hospitals will have access to the above training modules. Additionally, as part of the planned expansion of Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Programs in every borough announced earlier this year, Health + Hospitals is working with ACLM to offer the following training to all staff engaged with those programs:
- Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review Course, third edition: Online, comprehensive review course on lifestyle medicine, designed to prepare candidates to pass the lifestyle medicine board certification exam. Available to physicians, dietitians, nurse practitioners, and psychologists staffing each of the Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Program sites.
- Lifestyle Medicine for Coaches: Online review course on lifestyle medicine basics for professionals helping patients meet their health goals. This will be offered to health coaches and community health workers.
Finally, membership to the American College of Lifestyle Medicine will be provided to Health + Hospitals physicians, dietitians, health coaches, nurse practitioners, psychologists, and community health workers staffing each of the program sites. Membership has many benefits, including free educational webinars, professional resources, member interest groups, and patient educational materials.
