Lifestyle Medicine

NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln launched its Lifestyle Medicine Program in 2024, the first time the program has been available in the South Bronx. The team supports patients in making evidence-based lifestyle changes: a healthful plant-based diet, more physical activity, better sleep, stress reduction, avoiding substance use, and stronger social connections. Adults living with prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or weight-related health concerns are eligible to enroll. Care is delivered holistically around these six pillars of health.

What the nine-month program includes

• Six to nine one-on-one counseling sessions — two to three visits each with a physician, nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife, a dietitian, and a health coach to develop and carry out a personalized care plan.
• 14 weekly group classes on reading nutrition labels, grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation, and sleep and stress management.
• Eight weekly exercise classes with an exercise trainer, plus a resistance band to take home for strength training.
• Six free monthly deliveries of seasonal fresh produce, with dietitian-developed recipes across culinary traditions and skill levels.
• Health Bucks — $2 coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables at New York City farmers’ markets (learn more).
• Culinary skills videos developed with the online culinary school Rouxbe, featuring healthy cooking across Caribbean, South American, Central American, and South Asian traditions, translated into Spanish, Mandarin, Bengali, and Haitian Creole.
• A plant-based cookbook for type 2 diabetes.
• Support accessing benefits — community health workers and food navigators help eligible patients access SNAP benefits and nutrition resources.

The program at Lincoln can take 48 new patients each month. The care team includes physicians, a nurse practitioner, a dietitian, a health coach, a program coordinator, a psychologist, community health workers, and an exercise trainer. Current NYC Health + Hospitals patients can be referred by their provider; others can check whether they qualify to enroll.

Internal Medicine residents take part in the program as part of their clinical training.