Lifestyle medicine program expands to New York City Health + Hospitals/Kings County as part of citywide expansion

Lifestyle medicine program expands to New York City Health + Hospitals/Kings County as part of citywide expansion

November 30, 2023

New York, NY — NYC Health + Hospitals announced today that its nationally recognized lifestyle medicine program has expanded to NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County in Brooklyn. This is his third of six new sites making the program available across the city, following the recently launched NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi in the Bronx and NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull in Brooklyn. It's the eyes. 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 Lifestyle Medicine Program's team provides evidence-based lifestyle strategies 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. The program can accept 48 new patients each month, and the care team at each facility includes physicians, nurses, certified nurse midwives (Woodhull only), dietitians, health coaches, community health workers, psychologists, Contains programs. Coordinator, exercise trainer. The six new sites include NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, Woodhull, and Kings County, which have already launched, and NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst, Lincoln, and Gotham Health, Vanderbilt, which will launch in the coming months. included. 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.

“Being a Food Forward New York City means ensuring that all New Yorkers make healthy behavioral changes, including transitioning to a whole-food, plant-based diet. It may also include.” Kate McKenzie, Executive Director of Food Policy, Mayor's Office. “We are committed to Health + Hospitals' commitment to upstream targeting the key drivers of disease and inequality that are critical to collectively increasing life expectancy in underserved communities across the five boroughs. We are grateful for our continued partnership. Through this lifestyle medicine expansion, we will help New Yorkers disproportionately affected by chronic disease in Kings County live the longer, healthier lives they deserve. They will have access to tools and multidisciplinary support.”

“We are excited to celebrate the launch of our lifestyle medicine program at New York City Health + Hospitals/Kings County,” 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 provide the guidance you need to develop your knowledge and skills while also helping you address food insecurity and other key barriers to lifestyle change. NYC Health + has provided this valuable resource to our patients and communities. Hats off to Hospitals/Kings County.”

“The launch of our lifestyle medicine program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County is a testament to our commitment to holistic health,” he said. Sheldon McLeod, CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. “We are excited to offer a program that provides patients with resources to develop healthier habits, including access to plant-based foods and individual counseling sessions. Our Lifestyle In our medicine program, we are revolutionizing health care by providing empowerment, not just treatment.”

“My doctor referred me to a lifestyle medicine program because I have high cholesterol and am pre-diabetic,” he said. Timothy Nichols, New York City Health + Hospitals/Kings County Lifestyle Medicine Program Patient. “I'm learning how to make better choices about what I eat. I'm eating more vegetables, celery, and fruit. I'm learning how to exercise more and walk more. This program is exactly what I want. is what I was looking for.”

“This is a program unlike any other,” he said. Paulette James, Patient in the Lifestyle Medicine Program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County. “Getting to know you and knowing exactly what's bothering you – how you live, how you operate, how you eat. It's beautiful. I was amazed at how long it took for them to get to know you.”

Lifestyle Medicine's 9-month program provides all patients with the following resources:

• 6-9 one-on-one counseling sessions. 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 those from the Caribbean, South and Central America, and South Asia, translated into Spanish, Mandarin, Bengali, and Haitian Creole. (Release in early 2024)
• A plant-based cookbook. A cookbook on plant-based eating for type 2 diabetes is also available.
• Support access to benefits. Community health workers will 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. NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County's Lifestyle Medicine Program will collaborate with United Community Center of Brooklyn.

“We are very excited to work together to share prevention solutions with local residents seeking healthier lives.” Sarah Bacio, Assistant Project Director East New York Farmsa project of United Community Centers. “We hope this partnership strengthens our relationship with NYC Health + Hospitals and provides our market patrons with valuable resources and support to help them make healthier choices. Fresh and Organic Providing people with locally grown produce and a space to learn how to make more informed health decisions is invaluable.”

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 will commit $3 million this year and approximately $5 million annually going forward to fund 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 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
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 locations across 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 which are supported by 11 key hospitals. The company's diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on helping New Yorkers live the healthiest lives possible, without exception. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and connect with us on Facebook. twitterInstagram, and LinkedIn.