American College Of Lifestyle Medicine

MISSION: ADVANCING EVIDENCED-BASED LIFESTYLE MEDICINE TO TREAT, REVERSE AND PREVENT NON-COMMUNICABLE, CHRONIC DISEASE. VISION: A NATION WHEREIN LIFESTYLE MEDICINE IS THE FOUNDATION OF HEALTH AND ALL HEALTH CARE.

MAJOR STRIDES TOWARD FILLING THE GAPING VOID OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE IN MEDICAL EDUCATION ACROSS THE CONTINUUM IS ACLM'S FOREMOST ACHIEVEMENT, FROM UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION (UME) AND GRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION (GME), THROUGH CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME). THIS INCLUDES MAKING AVAILABLE AS A COMPLIMENTARY RESOURCE THE LIFESTLEMEDICINE 101 CURRICULUM AND THE CULINARY MEDICINE CURRICULUM, WITH THESE COMPREHENSIVE COURSES DOWNLOADED THOUSANDS OF TIMES BY PHYSICIANS, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AND EDUCATORS. THE LIFESTYLE MEDICINE RESIDENCY CURRICULUM, IN ONLY ITS SECOND YEAR, IS LICENSED INTO MORE THAN 80 RESIDENCY PROGRAMS, A NUMBER EXPECTED TO DOUBLE IN THE COMING YEAR. ACLM NOW SUPPORTS LIFESTYLE MEDICINE INTEREST GROUPS ON MORE THAN 60 (AND GROWING) CAMPUSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS YEAR SAW PUBLICATION OF WHITE PAPERS ON ADVANCING LIFESTYLE MEDICINE ACROSS THE MEDICAL EDUCATION CONTINUUM, INCLUDING ONE ENTITLED UNDERGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION: LIFESTYLE MEDICINE CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION STANDARDS.

WHILE TRANSFORMING UME AND GME IS VITAL, A FOCUS ON CME IS ESSENTIAL IN ORDER TO REACH THE MILLIONS OF ALREADY PRACTICING MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. THE TSUNAMI OF CHRONIC DISEASE IN OUR COUNTRY BEGS FOR A LIFESTYLE MEDICINE-FIRST APPROACH TO HEALTHCARE-ONE FOCUSED ON TREATING ROOT CAUSES OF DISEASE. THIS IS ACLM'S MISSION, NOW OFFERING MORE THAN 100 HOURS OF CME-ACCREDITED CONTENT THROUGH ITS LMS. NEW COURSES INTRODUCED THIS YEAR INCLUDE THE MULTI-MODULE FOOD AS MEDICINE FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS COURSE AND, TO ADDRESS THE EPIDEMIC OF PHYSICIAN AND PROVIDER BURNOUT, THE PHYSICIAN AND HEALTH PROFESSIONAL WELL-BEING COURSE AND COMPANION WORKSHOP. OTHER COURSES HELPING TO FILL THE EDUCATION GAP INCLUDE REVERSING TYPE 2 DIABETES AND INSULIN RESISTANCE WITH LIFESYTLE MEDICINE AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF LIFESYTLE MEDICINE BOARD REVIEW COURSE, USED AS THE PRIMARY PREPARATORY MATERIAL FOR THE AMERICAN BOARD OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE (ABLM) CERTIFICATION EXAM. DUE TO COVID-19, ACLM'S LM2021 CONFERENCE WAS SUCCESSFULLY PRODUCED AS A VIRTUAL EVENT IN 2021, BRINGING EXCEPTIONAL CME-ACCREDITED CONTENT TO 2,500 REGISTRANTS.

COVID-19 HAS SHONE A BRIGHT LIGHT ON THE URGENT NEED TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS THAT EXACERBATED THE VIRUS' MOST HARMFUL EFFECTS, AND THE DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON OUR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THROUGH ACLM'S HEALTH EQUITY ACHIEVED THROUGH LIFESTYLE MEDICINE (HEAL) INITIATIVE, THE HEAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND WAS ESTABLISHED TO AWARD TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION SCHOLARSHIPS TO UNDERREPRESENTED IN MEDICINE CLINICIANS ON THE FRONT LINES OF DELIVERING CARE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE HEAL INITIATIVE IS ACTIVELY WORKING ON OUTREACH TO OUR NATION'S HBCUS AND ENGAGING IN COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS TO EDUCATE, EQUIP AND EMPOWER PROVIDERS AND THOSE THEY SERVE ABOUT THE ROLE LIFESTYLE PLAYS IN PROTECTING HEALTH AND FIGHTING DISEASE THROUGH EVIDENCE-BASED THERAPEUTIC LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION, INCLUDING A WHOLE FOOD, PLANT-PREDOMINANT EATING PATTERN, REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, STRESS MANAGEMENT, RESTORATIVE SLEEP, AVOIDANCE OF RISKY SUBSTANCES, AND POSITIVE SOCIAL CONNECTION WITH MEANING AND PURPOSE.

ACLM IS MAKING TREMENDOUS STRIDES IN SUPPORTING ITS MORE THAN 7,000 MEMBERS. IN RESEARCH, ADVOCACY, PRACTICE ADVANCEMENT, COMMUNICATIONS, PARTNERSHIPS AND MEMBERSHIP SUPPORT, THIS HAS INCLUDED THE ESTABLISHMENT THIS YEAR OF THE HEALTH SYSTEMS COUNCIL, AS WELL AS RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS, AND WHAT WILL BE A JANUARY 2022 PUBLICATION OF A 120-PAGE SUPPLEMENT IN THE JOURNAL OF FAMILY PRACTICE ENTITLED A FAMILY PHYSICIAN'S INTRODUCTION TO LIFESTYLE MEDICINE. CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF A WIDE ARRAY OF BOTH PROVIDER RESOURCES AND PATIENT-FACING EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES HAVE THIS YEAR INCLUDED THE REIMBURSEMENT ROADMAP, PEDIATRIC TOOLKIT, SHARED MEDICAL APPOINTMENT TOOLKIT, WOMEN'S HEALTH ROADMAP, AND FOODASMED.ORG SERVING TO CURATE AND MAKE AVAILABLE ACLM'S FOOD AS MEDICINE-RELATED RESOURCES AND COURSE OFFERINGS. WITH NEARLY TWO DOZEN MEMBER INTEREST GROUPS, AS WELL AS STANDING COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES, ACLM MEMBER ENGAGEMENT IS SERVING AS THE TIP OF THE SPEAR TO TRANSFORM OUR NATION'S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM FROM ONE OF DISEASE MANAGEMENT TO ONE OF HEALTH RESTORATION.