Lifestyle Medicine Program Expands to NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst as Part of Citywide Expansion

Jan 11, 2024

New York, NY — NYC Health + Hospitals immediately introduced that its nationally acknowledged Lifestyle Medicine Program has expanded to NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst in Queens, the primary time this system is offered in Queens. This is the fourth of six new websites to make this system accessible citywide, following the latest launch of this system at NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi within the Bronx and NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull and Kings County in Brooklyn. The pilot program, launched at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in 2019 with the assist of then-Borough President Eric Adams, has already seen a whole bunch of sufferers. The Lifestyle Medicine Program’s crew helps sufferers in making evidence-based life-style modifications, together with a healthful plant-based weight-reduction plan, elevated bodily exercise, improved sleep habits, stress discount, avoidance of substance use, and stronger social connections. Adults dwelling with prediabetes, sort 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart illness, or well being considerations associated to extra weight are eligible to enroll. The program can accommodate 48 new sufferers every month, and the care crew at every website consists of physicians, nurse practitioner(s), licensed nurse midwife (Woodhull solely), a dietitian, a well being coach, group well being employees, a psychologist, a program coordinator, and an train coach. The six new websites embody NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, Woodhull, Kings County, and Elmhurst, which have already launched, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, and Gotham Health, Vanderbilt launching within the coming months. Current sufferers of NYC Health + Hospitals can get a referral to this system from their supplier, and people who find themselves not but sufferers of NYC Health + Hospitals can see in the event that they qualify to enroll in this system by contacting 347-507-3695.

“All New Yorkers should have the knowledge and resources needed to make healthful behavior changes, which for some, might include the transition to a whole food, plant-based diet,” mentioned Mayor’s Office of Food Policy Executive Director Kate MacKenzie. “MOFP applauds NYC Health + Hospitals for yet another expansion of its lifestyle medicine program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, the first hospital in Queens to offer the program. Lifestyle medicine empowers patients to embrace lifestyle changes in the management of their chronic conditions. Expanding this model of care across all five boroughs is critical to increasing life expectancy and ensuring that all New Yorkers can live the longer, healthier lives they deserve no matter where they receive care.”

“I am thrilled to celebrate the launch of the Lifestyle Medicine Program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst,” mentioned Michelle McMacken, MD, FACP, DipABLM, Executive Director of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals. “Healthy lifestyle behaviors are foundational to preventing and treating common chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. The Lifestyle Medicine Program’s talented interdisciplinary team will provide patients with the guidance they need to adopt healthier habits, while also helping to address food insecurity and other key barriers to lifestyle change. Kudos to NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst for offering this invaluable resource to patients and the community.”

“We are very excited about launching the Lifestyle Medicine Program here at Elmhurst,” mentioned Helen Arteaga Landaverde, PhD, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. “Our patients struggling with chronic disease conditions that are diet-related, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, will be further empowered to take control of their health and make good choices in the future. This program is another step towards helping close the health equity gap and ensuring that people in our community get the care they need and deserve.”

“Although it is true that over the years we have saved many lives by treating diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol with medications, it comes at a high monetary and convenience cost to our patients,” mentioned Rand David, MD, Chief of Ambulatory Care at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. “With our Lifestyle Medicine Program, we now have a way to eliminate these conditions by correcting them at their root causes: immobility, overweight, and obesity. I am so grateful for this opportunity!”

“I’ve tried several programs over the years to improve my health, but nothing’s worked for me,” mentioned Aurora Ronquillo, a affected person of the Lifestyle Medicine Program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. “I have obesity, back pain, and an autoimmune disease, but the Lifestyle Medicine Program has already opened me up to the possibilities for movement and exercise that will work for me. They’ve taught me about some healthy substitutes for food, and it tastes good! But the biggest impact so far is that I’m learning to accept myself in the mirror. I am so hopeful as I begin this journey.”

“I take two medications for diabetes, but my A1C levels are still too high,” mentioned Yvonne Rachmat, a affected person within the Lifestyle Medicine Program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst. “So far, the Lifestyle Medicine Program has encouraged me to go for longer walks and use resistance bands to build my strength. I’ve also learned about portions of food to eat at each meal. I’m eating less rice now, and I have my salad with avocado instead of dressing. I’ve enjoyed this program so far, and I would recommend it to my friends.”

The Lifestyle Medicine’s nine-month program gives each affected person with the next sources:

• 6 to 9 one-on-one counseling periods. Patients could have 2-3 visits every with a doctor, nurse practitioner or licensed nurse midwife, a dietitian, and a well being coach to develop and implement a customized care plan.

• 14 weekly group courses. Topics embody studying vitamin labels, grocery buying, meal planning and preparation, and sleep and stress administration methods.

• 8 weekly train courses.Patients will work with an train coach and take house a resistance band for energy coaching.

• 6 free, month-to-month deliveries of seasonal contemporary produce. Patients will work with dietitians to find out about incorporating vegatables and fruits into their weight-reduction plan throughout culinary traditions and talent ranges. Delicious and wholesome recipes developed by the crew’s dietitians accompany every produce field. (Launches early 2024)

• Health Bucks. Patients could have entry to Health Bucks, that are $2 coupons that can be utilized to buy contemporary vegatables and fruits at NYC farmers markets. Five of the seven program websites have farmers’ markets on their campus.

• Culinary expertise movies. Patients can be taught cooking expertise by means of brief movies developed by the Lifestyle Medicine crew in partnership with an internet culinary college, Rouxbe. The movies will characteristic wholesome cooking throughout numerous culinary traditions, together with Caribbean, South American, Central American, and South Asian, and will probably be translated into Spanish, Mandarin, Bengali, and Haitian Creole. (Launches early 2024)

• A plant-based cookbook. Cookbooks on plant-based consuming for sort 2 diabetes can be found as properly.

• Support accessing advantages. Community well being employees will assist eligible sufferers entry SNAP advantages and vitamin sources.

Each website will accomplice with native community-based group(s) to discover methods to assist group members in vitamin and different points of life-style change. The Lifestyle Medicine Program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst will collaborate with The New York Hall of Science in Queens.

“I’m thrilled at the exciting collaboration between New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) and Lifestyle Medicine!” mentioned Delia Meza, Director of Family Learning and Community Partnerships at The New York Hall of Science. “It’s an incredible fusion that embodies the very essence of progress and holistic well-being. NYSCI’s dedication to fostering scientific curiosity and innovation, coupled with Lifestyle Medicine’s emphasis on preventive care and health optimization, marks the beginning of an exciting collaboration. This collaboration promises to improve the lives of our community members and empower them to make informed, proactive choices for their well-being. The prospect of this collaboration fills me with boundless optimism, knowing that our combined efforts will undoubtedly pave the way for a healthier, more informed community.”

Once the entire websites are launched, this system will have the ability to accommodate almost 4,000 sufferers per yr. With assist from the City of New York, NYC Health + Hospitals will commit $3 million this yr and roughly $5 million yearly in future years to fund staffing and programmatic providers for the Lifestyle Medicine Programs.

Particular consideration has been positioned on making certain that the curriculum is related for sufferers from various backgrounds and experiences. For instance, the Spanish-language curriculum displays cultural variations, not merely a translation of the English-language model. Moreover, particular person visits with the medical suppliers, dietitian, and well being coach permit for tailor-made habits change suggestions based mostly on every affected person’s social, monetary, cultural, and household context.

Formal evaluations of the Bellevue pilot program revealed a successful implementation process, extraordinarily excessive demand for providers (greater than 850 sufferers requested to enroll within the first few months), and positive health outcomes together with clinically and statistically vital enhancements in weight, glycemic control, and diastolic blood pressure.

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MEDIA CONTACT: 212-788-3339; PressOffice@nychhc.org

About NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst
NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, a part of the NYC Health + Hospitals well being care system, is the foremost tertiary care supplier within the borough of Queens. The 545-bed hospital is a Level 1 Trauma Center, an Emergency Heart Care Station, a Thrombectomy Capable Stroke Receiving Center, a Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Center of Excellence and a 911-Receiving Hospital. It is a premiere well being care group for a number of specialties, together with surgical procedure, cardiology, ladies’s well being, pediatrics, rehabilitation drugs, renal providers, and psychological well being providers. Last yr, the hospital obtained near 700,000 ambulatory care visits and over 130,000 emergency room visits. The hospital has been nationally-ranked by US News and World Report in key areas, together with Heart Failure, Heart Attack, Stroke, Hip Fracture, Kidney Failure, Orthopedics, Pneumonia, and COPD. Stay related on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ElmhurstHosp.

About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the most important municipal well being care system within the nation serving greater than one million New Yorkers yearly in additional than 70 affected person care areas throughout town’s 5 boroughs. A strong community of outpatient, neighborhood-based main and specialty care facilities anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma facilities, nursing houses, post-acute care facilities, house care company, and MetroPlus well being plan—all supported by 11 important hospitals. Its various workforce of greater than 43,000 workers is uniquely centered on empowering New Yorkers, with out exception, to dwell the healthiest life potential. For extra data, go to www.nychealthandhospitals.org and keep related on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.