ST. LOUIS (PRWEB)
May 11, 2022

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) today announced 26 recipients of Health Equity Achieved Through Lifestyle Medicine (HEAL) scholarships that support lifestyle medicine leaders who are working to reduce health disparities in historically underserved communities across the United States.

HEAL scholarships provide financial support for recipients to attain education and certification in lifestyle medicine and help them build relationships in the field that lead to an exchange of ideas and innovations to create health equity solutions. They also support diversification of the lifestyle medicine clinician workforce.

More than 60% of the U.S. adult population and 25% of children have at least one chronic disease. Chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes disproportionately affect vulnerable populations such as Black and Latino communities. Moreover, in communities with decreased access to health care, healthy foods, and strong educational and economic opportunities, people often must overcome significant barriers to make evidenced-based healthy lifestyle choices that are proven to prevent, treat, and even reverse chronic diseases.

“For many chronic diseases, medical guidelines recommend addressing lifestyle as a first-treatment option, but far too many medical professionals lack the knowledge and training to help patients make lifestyle interventions successfully or fail to recognize the social determinants that make those lifestyle changes difficult to achieve for patients,” said ACLM President Cate Collings, MD, MS, FACC, DipABLM. “The 2022 class of HEAL scholarship recipients represent a diverse health care workforce who understand those challenges and are motivated to become certified in lifestyle medicine to educate, empower and encourage the communities they serve. We are proud to support these future lifestyle medicine leaders.”

ACLM founded the HEAL initiative to promote heath equity through lifestyle medicine. Scholarship recipients receive one-year membership in ACLM, registration and travel stipend for the organization’s annual conference and American Board of Lifestyle Medicine exam registration. HEAL scholarships are made possible through grant support from the Ardmore Institute of Health, the Martin Family Foundation and other generous supporters.

ACLM will accept applications for the next class of HEAL scholars in early 2023.

The 2022 HEAL scholarship recipients are:

• Alyssa Hernandez Pena, PA-C

Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

Ear, Nose, Throat and Plastic Surgery Associates

AdventHealth Hospital

Orlando, FL

• Annalissa Vicencio, MA, LCAT, MT-BC, NBC-HWC

Licensed Creative Arts Therapist – Music Therapist Board Certified; National Board Certified-Health and Wellness Coach, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY Rehabilitation Sciences PhD student at New York University – Steinhardt,

New York, NY

Core Faculty Physician, Internal Medicine Residency, Northside Hospital Gwinnett

Lawrenceville, GA

• Brittany Wilkerson, MPAS, PA-C

Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Little Rock, Arkansas

• Chaka Brittain, DNP AGPCNP-BC

Assistant Professor, University of North Florida

Jacksonville, FL

• Charlene Edwards, RN, MA, MSBS

Clinical Outreach Educator, Fundamental Health and Community Development Services

Dayton, OH

• Chimene Castor, PhD, RDN, CHES

Associate Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences

College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences

Howard University, DC

Family Medicine Physician & CEO, Harvest Health MD

Savannah, GA

Internal Medicine Resident

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL

Metabolic Health Consultant

New Albany, OH

• Kortnee Roberson Cooper, MD

Vaccine Advocacy Lead Provider, Heartland Alliance, and Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

• Lataya De Jesus, BSN, RN, FNP-DNPS

Doctoral Candidate, The Ohio State University

College of Nursing

Cutler, OH

Copiah Comprehensive Health Center,

Hazlehurst, MS

• Lauren B. Johnson, PhD, MEd

Clinical Psychologist, Robins Air Force Base

Warner Robins, GA

• Lisabeth M. Alvarez, RN, BSN

DNP Student, Florida International University

Miami, FL

Director of Health & Wellbeing

Integrative Family Medicine Physician

AccessHealth Community Health Centers

Advanced skin and wound reconstruction specialist, board-certified in preventive medicine, PRVN MED CEO and Founder

Dorado, Puerto Rico

• Margarita Schneider-Munoz, MD, MPH

Internal Medicine, San Ysidro Health Center

San Diego, CA

Family Medicine Physician, SAC Health System

San Bernardino, CA

• Mechell Duran, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, BC-ADM, CDCES, NBC-HWC

President, Healthy Yields

Pembroke Pines, FL

Wildwood Health Institute

Wildwood, GA

Clinic Manager of Industrial PT, BMW-Plant Spartanburg

Sole proprietor for Covenant Care Solutions, LLC

Duncan, SC

• Rosandra Daywalker, MD, PhD(c)

Occupational & Environmental Medicine Physician; CDC NIOSH Total Worker Health® Expert

Houston, TX

Capital Area Health Network (CAHN)

Richmond, VA

Internist

Brooklyn, NY

Founder and Owner, WellNEST Medicine

Assistant Professor, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Expert as a LEAN Six Sigma Black Belt,

AWMA Board of Directors

Phoenix area, AZ

ABOUT THE AMERICAN COLLEGE OF LIFESTYLE MEDICINE: ACLM is the medical professional society providing quality education and certification to those dedicated to clinical and worksite practice of evidence-based lifestyle medicine as the foundation of a transformed and sustainable health care system. ACLM educates, equips, empowers and supports its members as they provide evidence-based lifestyle medicine as the first treatment option in clinical practice and worksite settings through live and online CME- and CE-accredited events and educational offerings, certification, clinical practice tools, patient education resources, economic research, networking opportunities and advocacy efforts. ACLM members are united in their desire to identify and eradicate the root cause of disease and restore health. Learn more at http://www.lifestylemedicine.org.