The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) today announced the 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.
2022 HEAL Scholarship Recipients
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
Benjamin Hayes, MD
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
Jamal Lawrence, MD
Family Medicine Physician & CEO, Harvest Health MD
Savannah, GA
Joseph Salami, MD, MPH
Internal Medicine Resident
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL
Kamilah Williams, MD
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
Marcqwon Daywalker, MD
Director of Health & Wellbeing
Integrative Family Medicine Physician
AccessHealth Community Health Centers
Margarita Ramos, MD, MPH
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
Maria Lohr, MD
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
Nana Yaa Kwarteng, FNP
Wildwood Health Institute
Wildwood, GA
Randi Howard, PT
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
Sarah Yancey, PA-C
Capital Area Health Network (CAHN)
Richmond, VA
Tanyka Sam, MD, MPH
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 ACLM
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.
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