Page 24 - The Indian EYE 102023

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline OCTOBER 20, 2023 | The Indian Eye 24

“Everyone deserves a chance to change their lifestyle”:

Dr Michelle McMacken, Executive Director of Nutrition

and Lifestyle Medicine, NYC Health + Hospitals

OUR BUREAU sessions. Patients will have 2-3 visits
each with a physician or nurse practi-
New York, NY
tioner, a dietitian, and a health coach
YC Health + Hospitals is the to develop and implement a person-
nation’s largest municipal alized care plan.
Nhealth care delivery system in 14 weekly group classes. Topics
US dedicated to providing the highest include reading nutrition labels, gro-
quality health care services to all New cery shopping, meal planning and
Yorkers with compassion, dignity preparation, and sleep and stress
and respect, and regardless of immi- management techniques.
gration status or ability to pay. NYC 8 weekly exercise classes. Pa-
Health + Hospitals Dr. Michelle Mc- tients will work with an exercise
Macken, Executive Director of Nutri- trainer and take home a resistance
tion and Lifestyle Medicine, and José band for strength training.
Bayona, Executive Director, Office of 6 free, monthly deliveries of
Ethnic and Community Media, held seasonal fresh produce. Patients will
a virtual media roundtable to discuss work with dietitians to learn about
the expansion of the Lifestyle Medi- incorporating fruits and vegetables
cine Program citywide, starting with into their diet across culinary tradi-
NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi. Dr tions and skill levels. Delicious and
Itha Harewood, Medical Director of healthy recipes developed by the
Lifestyle Medicine Program at NYC team’s dietitians accompany each
Health + Hospitals/Jacobi was also produce box. (Launches early 2024)
present to address the various queries
along with Dr McMacken.
This program provide patients Health Bucks. Patients will
the tools to make healthy lifestyle have access to Health Bucks,
changes, including access to plant-
based diet resources and one-on-one which are $2 coupons that can
counselling. Adults living with pre- be used to purchase fresh fruits
diabetes, type 2 diabetes, high blood
pressure, heart disease, or health and vegetables at NYC farmers
concerns related to excess weight are chelle McMacken shared, “Healthy into our education in schools. She markets. Five of the seven pro-
eligible to enrol. The program will be lifestyle behaviors are foundational also added that making small shifts
at five additional new NYC Health + to preventing and treating common in lifestyle can lead to big leaps in gram sites have farmers’ mar-
Hospitals sites in the coming months. chronic conditions such as type 2 di- lifestyle alteration. kets on their campus.
The Lifestyle Medicine Program’s abetes and high blood pressure. The When asked whether patients
team supports patients in making Lifestyle Medicine Program’s talent- from languages other than English
evidence-based lifestyle changes, in- ed interdisciplinary team will provide can also access the program , the Culinary skills videos. Patients
cluding a healthful plant-based diet, patients with the guidance they need doctors replied in affirmative. In can learn cooking skills through
increased physical activity, improved to adopt healthier habits, while also fact, particular attention has been short videos developed by the Life-
sleep habits, stress reduction, avoid- helping to address food insecurity placed on ensuring that the curricu- style Medicine team in partnership
ance of substance use, and stronger and other key barriers to lifestyle lum is relevant for patients from di- with an online culinary school, Roux-
social connections. change.” verse backgrounds and experiences. be. The videos will feature healthy
The program can accommodate She further shared that we For example, the Spanish-language cooking across various culinary tra-
48 new patients each month, and the should be eating according to our curriculum reflects cultural adapta- ditions, including Caribbean, South
care team at each site includes physi- culture and local availability of food. tions, not simply a translation of the American, Central American, and
cians, a nurse practitioner, a dietitian, What our grandparents used to eat English-language version. Moreover, South Asian, and will be translated
a health coach, community health was much simpler and nutritious individual visits with the medical into Spanish, Mandarin, Bengali,
workers, a psychologist, a program than what we are eating today. providers, dietitian, and health coach and Haitian Creole. (Launches early
coordinator, and an exercise trainer. Mr Sunil Hali, Publisher & Pro- allow for tailored behavior change 2024)
Following the launch at Jacobi, the moter, The Indian EYE Worldwide recommendations based on each pa- A plant-based cookbook. Cook-
expansion will include NYC Health Media & Entertainment Group, put tient’s social, financial, cultural, and books on plant-based eating for type
+ Hospitals/Woodhull, Kings Coun- forth an extremely relevant question family context. 2 diabetes are available as well.
ty, Lincoln, Elmhurst, and Gotham of whether lifestyle correction could The Lifestyle Medicine’s nine- Support accessing benefits.
Health, Vanderbilt launching over be started from a young age. Dr Mc- month program provides every pa- Community health workers will help
the coming months. Macken replied that this was much tient with the following resources: eligible patients access SNAP bene-
During the roundtable, Dr Mi- needed and needs to be integrated 6 to 9 one-on-one counseling fits and nutrition resources.

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