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ACLM's Impact

Together we are a galvanized force for change. ACLM's Impact page is designed to showcase what ACLM is doing behind the scenes on your behalf to advance the field of lifestyle medicine and break down barriers.

Advancing Lifestyle Medicine in 2024

December 2024

More to come!

November 2024

More to come!

October 2024

More to come!

September 2024

More to come!

August 2024

More to come!

July 2024

More to come!

June 2024

More to come!

May 2024

ACLM and Blue Zones recently announced a multifaceted impact partnership. The centerpiece will provide—beginning in 2025—an opportunity, exclusive to lifestyle medicine certified clinicians, to earn the added recognition of Blue Zones Certified Physician or Healthcare Professional. Learn more.

April 2024

ACLM has announced that the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville (SOMG) and Loma Linda University School of Medicine (LLUSM) are the first to earn the highest recognition of a "Platinum Plus" certification designation for the significant level of undergraduate lifestyle medicine curricula within their programs.
The first performance measures to identify remission and evaluate the effectiveness of lifestyle medicine treatments were published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. Read the article.

March 2024

ACLM is excited to welcome 15 new Lifestyle Medicine Interest Groups (LMIGs). We now proudly support over 130 active LMIGs.

February 2024

ACLM's first clinical practice guideline (CPG), titled "Lifestyle Interventions for Treatment and Remission of Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes in Adults" was published. The guideline development committee includes 21 experts, 6 of whom are internal ACLM individuals, and 15 of whom are designated representatives from external stakeholder groups. The committee met in-person and engaged in exciting discussion as part of drafting the guideline. The committee developed 14 draft statements and we look forward to continuing this process, with a target end date of December 2024 for submission to the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.
The ACLM Board of Directors set the 3-Year strategic priorities for the organization:
- Advance the scalable implementation of lifestyle medicine
- Build long-term partnerships to bridge identified gaps in the field
- Equip health care workforce with lifestyle medicine education
- Continue building research base and defining the field
- Deepen member and stakeholder engagement

January 2024

ACLM's past president, Cate Collings, MD, DipABLM, FACLM represented ACLM at the AMA State Advocacy Summit.
ACLM staff and members, Kathryn J. Pollard MS; Joel Gittelsohn PhD; Padmaja Patel MD, FACLM, DipABLM; Liana Lianov MD, MPH, FACPM, FACLM, DipABLM; Kelly Freeman MSN, RN, AGPCNP-BC, DipACLM; Kara L. Staffier MPH; Kaitlyn R. Pauly MS, RDN, DipACLM; Micaela C. Karlsen PhD, MSPH, were selected by the American Journal of Health Promotion as one of the Best of 2023 List of Health Promotion Researchers for their article, Lifestyle Medicine Practitioners Implementing a Greater Proportion of Lifestyle Medicine Experience Less Burnout.
ACLM launched the Lifestyle Medicine 2024 call for presentations for concurrent sessions at our conference in October.
ACLM created a new Social Connection Toolkit developed by a subgroup of our Mental and Behavioral Health Member Interest Group. This toolkit is free to members.

Advancing Lifestyle Medicine in 2023

December 2023

ACLM increased their paid membership by more than 20% for 2023.
Over 1,000 individuals passed the 2024 Certification exam through the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine.
ACLM opened its workshop proposals for the Lifestyle Medicine 2024 to Member Interest Group members. Over 60 submissions were received.

November 2023

ACLM launched the National Training Initiative opportunity to help educate clinicians working at FQHC's/CHC's in lifestyle medicine as part of our commitment to the White House Conference on Nutrition, Hunger and Health.
Save the Date! LM2024 conference in Orlando, FL, October 27-30, 2024.
The medical news organization Healio was one of several outlets in attendance at ACLM's annual conference in Denver. Read all of Healio's comprehensive coverage of conference sessions here.

October 2023

ACLM hosted the LM2023 conference in Denver, Colorado. Over 3,000 clinicians were in attendance, both in person and virtually.
ACLM launched the CME/CE Question Bank designed to help individuals prepare to sit for the ABLM exam.
The ABLM exam registration closed with over 1,200 enrolled registered to sit for the ABLM and ACLM certification exams in 2023.
ACLM announced a new strategic partnership with the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved to advance health equity and diversify the medical workforce.
ACLM announced the 2023 Dr. Stephen Turner Residency Director and Faculty Scholarship recipients. This scholarship supports certification in lifestyle medicine for residency program directors and faculty members interested in integrating lifestyle medicine into their residency programs.

September 2023

Several payment models were highlighted on Sept. 23 at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine’s (ACLM) inaugural Reimbursement Summit. Each of these models has been used by lifestyle medicine clinicians in a variety of care settings across the country to deliver the high-value, whole-person, interdisciplinary care that lifestyle medicine offers.
The AMA Ed Hub now features the Lifestyle Medicine Core Competencies: 2022 Update American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine article and CME/CE offering in their newsletter and on their platform for their audience.
Submitted comments to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule for CY2024.
Submitted comments to the Calendar Year (CY) 2024 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment System Proposed Rule, especially as it pertains to intensive cardiac rehabilitation (ICR).
ACLM expands the free 5.5 hours of CME/CE/MOC through the Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials Course to September 2025.

August 2023

Met with the Association for Clinicians of the Underserved (ACU) Executive Director to discuss partnership opportunities to advance ACLM’s National Training Initiative with FQHCs.
Met with quality improvement representatives of Health Choice Network to share more about Essentials as a tool to help improve quality measures for FQHC patients.
Solidified partnership opportunities with the National Medical Association and ACLM around CME offerings and conference sponsorship exchanges.
Represented ACLM and the HEAL Initiative at the National Association for Community Health Centers (NACHC) CHI & Expo, the nation's largest conference for community health center professionals.
Placed Dr. Jonathan Bonnet into the invitation-only annual partnership meeting of the CDC Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity division in Atlanta.
Placed Dr. Melissa Bernstein as an oral commentator before the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Council.
ACLM Communications and Partnerships departments collaborated to form media partnerships with Everyday Health and Healio to ensure media attendance and coverage of Lifestyle Medicine 2023, both pre-and post-conference. In total, five health journalists have confirmed attendance.

July 2023

HEAL Initiative member Dr. Tiffani Bell Armstrong and HEAL Initiative Scholarship recipient Dr. Rosandra Daywalker represented ACLM and led education sessions at the National Medical Association’s Annual Scientific Convention in New Orleans.
Attended the American Medical Association (AMA) Virtual Groundwater to learn how social determinants of health and racism impact every facet of life for communities of color, particularly individuals who identify as African American.
Met with BJC Healthcare, a health system in St. Louis, to discuss how to implement lifestyle medicine and leverage ACLM complimentary resources as part of their pilot Diabetes Program.
Hosted ACLM’s first-ever Community Conversation to address member LM2024 host state concerns around racially charged safety issues and DEI attacks in Florida following the NAACP travel ban.

June 2023

ACLM and HEAL were represented at CMS’ first-ever Health Equity Conference.
Met with leadership of the National Medical Association to discuss opportunities to educate members on lifestyle medicine by way of NMA conference and other CME offerings.

May 2023

President Beth Frates and Executive Director Susan Benigas represented ACLM at the virtual Bipartisan Policy Center’s Food as Medicine Roundtable on May 24, showcasing the tremendous work the society has done to fill the void of lifestyle medicine, including food as medicine, in medical education.
Director of Advocacy and Health Equity Stacia Johnston represented ACLM at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Policy for the People Health Equity Summit in Washington, D.C., May 23.
Director of Academic Advancement Kelly Freeman and Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum (LMRC) Program Manager Shanna Mello represented ACLM at the American Academy of Physician Associates Conference in Nashville, Tenn., May 19-22.
Deputy Director of Operations and Senior Director of Events Julie Holtgrave secured the Lifestyle Medicine 2026 contract. Date and location are to be announced.
Senior Director of Membership Jennifer Nanni and Education Senior Project Manager Alexandra Kees represented ACLM at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting in Baltimore, Md., May 19-21.
ACLM Executive Director Susan Benigas virtually represented ACLM and emphasized the value proposition of lifestyle medicine at the Ogden Surgical-Medical Society Conference in Ogden, Utah, held May 16-19, 2023.
Deputy Director of Practice Advancement and Administration Kaitlyn Pauly represented ACLM at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists Annual Meeting in Seattle, Wash., May 6.
Education Program Manager Grace Gamma represented ACLM at the Kaiser Permanente Obesity Summit in Woodland Hills, Calif., May 6.
ACLM hosted a panel from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Technology. They discussed a whole health approach to care within the VA. There were 652 registrants and 266 live viewers.
ACLM hosted a webinar with Eskanzi Health and showcased their work to integrate lifestyle medicine into primary care delivery within their federally qualified health care clinic. 782 registrants with 315 unique live viewers.
ACLM hosted two Certification webinars regarding the importance of certification and how to become certified. The total registration included 610 interested individuals.
Members of the Electronic Medical Record Subcommittee started working with Epic to build lifestyle medicine data elements into the foundation of Epic. Once complete, anyone using Epic as an electronic medical record will be able to turn on the LM template to begin using the standard assessment tools, interventions, workflows, education, after-visit summaries, etc.
ACLM publishes the first examples of medication deprescribing protocols for type 2 diabetes. The qualitative case series research study in Clinical Diabetes is the first published example of protocols to help guide clinical decision-making on when and how to deprescribe medications following successful lifestyle medicine interventions to treat patients with type 2 diabetes.

April 2023

President Beth Frates, Executive Director Susan Benigas, and members Brenda Rae, Jennifer Trilk, Cliff Morris, Terri Stone and Alka Gupta virtually briefed HHS Secretary Becerra’s Chief of Staff on LM in medical education and in practice April 7.
ACLM Senior Director of Research Micaela Karlsen presented on lifestyle medicine at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 19, 2023, as well as serving on the planning committee for the Tufts Foods as Medicine Summit, held April 26-27, 2023.
President Beth Frates, Executive Director Susan Benigas and Research Senior Director Micaela Karlsen attended the Tufts “Food Is Medicine: Transforming Healthcare” Summit in Boston April 26. ACLM Executive Director Susan Benigas presented as part of a panel on nutrition in medical education during the Tufts Foods as Medicine Summit in Boston, Massachusetts, held April 26-27, 2023.
Director of Education Shannon Worthman and Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum (LMRC) Program Manager Shanna Mello represented ACLM at the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Conference in Baltimore, Md., April 26-28. Mello and Karen Studer, LMRC Evaluation and Quality Control Director, presented "Building a Nation of Lifestyle Medicine Doctors: Creating a Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum" on April 27.
Director of Academic Advancement Kelly Freeman represented ACLM at the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty on April 26-30 in Orlando, Fla.
Senior Director of Marketing Leslie Casey and Associate Director of Events Dasha Ross represented ACLM at the American College of Physicians (ACP) Internal Medicine Meeting in San Diego, Calif., April 27-29.
Bachelor's level certification eligibility will conclude after the 2023 exam. Learn more.
ACLM Past President Cate Collings, MD, FACC, MS, DipABLM, proposes solutions for change in her latest Medscape Column on cardiac rehab.
A meta-epidemiological study from ACLM was published in Advances in Nutrition, supporting both ACLM's dietary position statement and its recent expert consensus statement. Learn more.
The first Essentials research study abstract was submitted to APHA on the use/enrollment of the course.
A Health Systems Council (HSC) abstract was submitted to APHA on shared medical appointments and billing in health systems.
ACOFP agreed to partner with ACLM to promote the “Lifestyle Medicine and Food as Medicine Essentials” course to its 20,000 members. The American Medical Women’s Association also announced its partnership with ACLM to provide the Essentials” course bundle to its members.
The HEAL Initiative announced a new priority area, making integration of lifestyle medicine in FQHCs its fourth priority area. ACLM’s FQHC/CHC Discussion Group becomes part of the HEAL Initiative.
Staff promoted the ACLM Board-adopted official statement on obesity.
The ACLM communications team placed Dr. Anne Kennard, an OBGYN board-certified in lifestyle medicine, on a team of experts and journalists at Everyday Health, producing an in-depth package on menopause. Dr. Kennard is positioned to provide a much-needed lifestyle medicine viewpoint on the treatment of vasomotor symptoms.
The HEAL Initiative announced 15 HEAL scholars for FY2023.

March 2023

ACLM staff helped plan and provide talking points and materials in support of Beth Frates and other ACLM members who participated in the AAMC/AACOM/ACGME Summit on Nutrition in Chicago March 13.
ACLM announced newly elected MIG leaders.
HEAL officially transitioned leadership with Drs. Qadira Huff and David Bowman serving as co-chairs, and Dr. Daphne Bascom serving as secretary.
ACLM hosted the first "Maximize Your Benefits" event for all members. View the recording.
ACLM members received an exclusive 50% discount from Corporate Roundtable Partner, Naiya. Access discount here.
ACLM received a four-star charity rating and scored a 94% on Charity Navigator.
A Marketing and Communications Committee of the Board is relaunched, co-chaired by Neha Pathak and Colin Zhu.
ACLM’s Communications Department coordinated interviews and provided research, statistics and other ACLM-related information to the Wall Street Journal for a story about medical education and lifestyle medicine for a reoccurring series titled “The Future of Everything.”
Submitted letter in response to a request for information from Senators Saunders and Cassidy of the Senate HELP Committee on ‘’Healthcare Workforce Shortages.”
Submitted letter in response to an RFI from House of Representatives on the “Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act Reauthorization.”

February 2023

ACLM developed a whole food, plant-based screener to accompany an upcoming research study.
Director of Academic Advancement Kelly Freeman represented ACLM at Academy Health's Datapalooza February 23-24 in Arlington, VA.
ACLM welcomes the newest Corporate Roundtable partner, Wellory.Read the press release here.
Director of Academic Advancement Kelly Freeman presented two one-hour podium presentations at the Coalition of Advanced Practice Nurses of Indiana Feb. 8-9 in Indianapolis, Ind. The presentations were "High-Level View of Medication Prescribing Challenges" and "Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Treatment in Indiana."
The February webinar was on Shared Medical Appointments for Cancer Survivors. It featured Amy Commander and Amber Orman, along with a patient perspective. There were 433 registrants and 170 live viewers.

January 2023

ACLM officially opened the 2023 scholarship opportunities in certification and student leadership.
ACLM released the newest complimentary American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine article for members to earn CME/CE/MOC. Access the article here.
KevinMD published Dr. Qadira Huff's column promoting the new "Lifestyle Medicine & Food as Medicine Essentials" course bundle. Read the article here.
ACLM published a new white paper on long-term physical activity on prescription intervention for patients with insufficient physical activity levels. Access the white paper here.

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