Lifestyle medicine program expands to New York City Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health, Vanderbilt as part of citywide expansion
March 1, 2024
New York, NY — NYC Health + Hospitals announced today that its nationally recognized lifestyle medicine program has expanded to NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health at Vanderbilt on Staten Island, making the program available on Staten Island for the first time. This follows recent launches of the program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi in the Bronx, NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull and Kings County in Brooklyn, and NYC Health + Hospitals, making the program available citywide. This is the fifth of six new sites. /Elmhurst, Queens. The pilot program began at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in 2019 with support from then-borough president Eric Adams and has already seen hundreds of patients. The team at the Lifestyle Medicine Program provides evidence-based lifestyle recommendations that include eating a healthy plant-based diet, increasing physical activity, improving sleep habits, reducing stress, avoiding drug use, and strengthening social connections. We support patients in making these changes. Adults with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or health concerns related to excess weight are eligible to enroll. Vanderbilt's Gotham Health program can accept 32 new patients each month, and the care team includes physicians, nurses, nutritionists, health coaches, program coordinators and athletic trainers. Current patients at NYC Health + Hospitals can receive a referral to the program from their healthcare provider. Those who are not already patients at NYC Health + Hospitals can find out if they are eligible to enroll in the program by contacting 347-507-3695.
“We appreciate Mayor Adams' belief in the power of lifestyle change and the current administration's bold vision and actions in addressing chronic disease.” Kate McKenzie, executive director of the Mayor's Office of Food Policy. “The opening of the Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at Vanderbilt is a major step forward in ensuring equitable access to services for people with chronic illnesses who are trying to change their eating habits, and will help all New Yorkers live longer, healthier lives. It will go a long way in helping us do that.”
“We are thrilled to celebrate the launch of Vanderbilt's Lifestyle Medicine program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health,” he said. Michelle Macken, MD, FACP, DipABLM, Executive Director of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine, NYC Health + Hospitals. “Healthy lifestyle behaviors are the foundation for the prevention and treatment of common chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension. The Lifestyle Medicine Program's talented multidisciplinary team helps patients develop healthier habits. We will provide you with the guidance you need to develop your skills, while also helping you address food insecurity and other key barriers to lifestyle change. Thank you to our patients and communities for providing this valuable resource. We salute NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health at Vanderbilt.”
“We are excited to launch the Lifestyle Medicine program here at Gotham Health at Vanderbilt.” Michelle Lewis, CEO, NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health. “Gotham Health's Lifestyle Medicine program at Vanderbilt provides patients with both the knowledge and tools to live a healthier lifestyle, including access to resources on plant-based eating and individual counseling sessions. To do.”
“When I started the lifestyle medicine program, I started making different choices about what I ate,” he said. Lydia Miles, a patient in the Lifestyle Medicine Program at Vanderbilt's NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health. “I feel so much better. When I eat this way, I feel full but not full. I've also started meal planning, so I'm getting more sleep during the week, and I'm slowly trying to increase my physical activity.” We are working hard and I highly recommend this program.”
Lifestyle Medicine's 9-month program provides all patients with the following resources:
- 6~9 one-on-one counseling session. Patients receive two to three visits each with a doctor, nurse or certified nurse midwife, nutritionist, and health coach to develop and implement a personalized care plan.
- 14 group classes per week. Topics include how to read nutrition labels, grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation, and how to manage sleep and stress.
- 8 exercise classes per weekPatients work with an exercise trainer and take home resistance bands for strength training.
- Get seasonal fresh food delivered free of charge 6 times a month. Patients work with a nutritionist to learn how to incorporate fruits and vegetables into their diets, regardless of their culinary tradition or skill level. Each produce box comes with delicious and healthy recipes developed by our team's nutritionists. (Release in early 2024)
- health bucks. Patients will have access to Health Bucks, which are $2 coupons that can be used to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at New York City Farmers' Market. Five of the seven program sites have on-campus farmers markets.
- cooking skills videos. Patients can learn cooking skills through short videos developed by the Lifestyle Medicine team in partnership with online cooking school Rouxbe. This video presents healthy dishes from a variety of traditional cuisines, including Caribbean, South and Central America, and South Asia, translated into Spanish, Mandarin, Bengali, and Haitian Creole. (Released in summer 2024)
- A plant-based cookbook. A cookbook on plant-based eating for type 2 diabetes is also available.
- Support access to benefits. Referrals from local health care workers and food navigators can help eligible patients access SNAP benefits and nutritional resources.
Each location will partner with local community-based organizations to explore ways to support community members with nutrition and other aspects of lifestyle change. Vanderbilt's New York City Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health lifestyle medicine program will collaborate with Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI).
“Staten Island Community Health Initiatives (CHASI) is looking forward to this innovative partnership with the City of Vanderbilt's New York City Health + Hospitals Lifestyle Medicine Program,” he said. Aja Stubbs, Staten Island Vice President of Community Health Initiatives (CHASI) Next Steps Resource & Recovery Center. “Many of the members of CHASI's Next Step Resource & Recovery Center are in early recovery from substance use, and their health needs are complex. Adopting new healthy habits can be difficult to overcome due to medical and social needs. It can be transformative for people who are disconnected, some learning about nutrition and exercise for the first time in years. We offer a comprehensive and manageable way to get things back on track. This connection will be a valuable resource for eligible clients and their families looking to increase their recovery funds. I hope.”
Once all facilities are open, the program will be able to accommodate approximately 4,000 patients per year. With support from New York City, NYC Health + Hospitals commits approximately $5 million annually to staffing and program services for lifestyle medicine programs.
Particular attention is paid to ensuring that the curriculum is appropriate for patients with diverse backgrounds and experiences. For example, the Spanish curriculum reflects a cultural adaptation rather than a mere translation of the English version. Additionally, individual visits by healthcare providers, nutritionists, and health coaches allow for customized behavior change recommendations based on each patient's social, economic, cultural, and family background.
Formal evaluation of the Bellevue pilot program shows the success of the implementation process, very high demand for services (more than 850 patients requested enrollment in the first few months), clinical and statistical improvements in weight, glycemic control, and weight. Positive health outcomes were revealed, including significant improvements. Diastolic blood pressure.
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Media contact: 212-788-3339; PressOffice@nychhc.org
About NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health
NYC Health + Hospitals/Gotham Health is a federally qualified health care provider founded in 2012 to help individuals and families address their health care needs in their own neighborhoods. Serving more than 100,000 New Yorkers annually in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens, Gotham Health is comprised of 38 medical facilities located in all five of New York City's boroughs. Gotham Health provides accessible, high-quality, and affordable health care services with a focus on primary care. We are committed to promoting healthy lifestyles and building healthy communities, with a focus on making it easy for patients and families to receive quality preventive care, such as annual exams and immunizations. Masu. Our medical teams are trained to help patients manage ongoing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the nation's largest municipal health system, serving more than 1 million New Yorkers annually at more than 70 patient care facilities in the city's five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers strengthens care coordination with the system's trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agencies and MetroPlus Health Plans. All of this is supported by 11 key hospitals. Our diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on helping New Yorkers, without exception, live the healthiest lives possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and connect with us on Facebook. twitterInstagram, and LinkedIn.