{"id":31267,"date":"2025-07-31T14:32:15","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T14:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifestylemedicine.org\/?p=31267"},"modified":"2025-08-19T16:54:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T16:54:00","slug":"aclm-and-nachc-launch-partnership-to-improve-health-outcomes-32-5-million-chc-patients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifestylemedicine.org\/aclm-and-nachc-launch-partnership-to-improve-health-outcomes-32-5-million-chc-patients\/","title":{"rendered":"ACLM and NACHC launch partnership to improve health outcomes 32.5 million CHC patients"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ACLM and NACHC launch partnership to improve health outcomes for 32.5 million CHC patients<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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By expanding access to high-quality education, culturally responsive implementation models, and practical support, the partnership equips clinicians with tools to treat the root causes of chronic disease, empowering patients to make and sustain meaningful lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

By Stacia Johnston, MS | ACLM Director of Health Equity Advancement <\/strong>
Luis Padilla, MD<\/strong> |<\/strong> NACHC<\/strong> Chief Health Officer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 31, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At a Community Health Center in rural Georgia, patients managing or at risk for type 2 diabetes gather monthly for shared medical appointments focused on lifestyle changes. Each two-hour session blends clinical care with education and peer support. Participants learn how nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and stress affect chronic disease\u2014and how small, sustainable changes can make a big difference. They set SMART<\/a> goals for the month ahead, share progress and challenges, and even receive fresh produce donated by a local farmer to help put what they\u2019re learning into practice at home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results? Nothing short of inspiring.<\/strong> Over just six months, participants significantly increased their intake of fresh produce, lost an average of nearly 30 pounds, doubled their weekly exercise time, and improved both their sleep and stress levels. Their A1c levels stabilized or declined\u2014an especially meaningful outcome in a population where those numbers often trend upward. Most importantly, every single participant said they\u2019d recommend the group to others in their community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

VIDEO: Learn how one health center in rural Georgia is changing health outcomes through lifestyle medicine shared medical appointments. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are not isolated outcomes. They represent what\u2019s possible when clinicians are equipped with the tools and training to address the root causes of chronic disease\u2014something our new partnership aims to make more accessible nationwide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) is proud to announce a strategic partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers<\/a> (NACHC) to expand access to lifestyle medicine education, training, and implementation support for clinicians working in Community Health Centers (CHCs), including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and clinic \u201cLook-Alikes\u201d that operate like CHCs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is \u201clifestyle medicine\u201d?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based medical specialty that applies therapeutic lifestyle interventions to treat, reverse, and prevent chronic conditions like cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. By empowering patients to make lifestyle behavior changes in six interconnected pillars\u2014optimal nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, connectedness, and risky substance avoidance\u2014lifestyle medicine aims to eliminate the root cause of disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why this partnership matters<\/strong>  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Serving 32.5 million patients annually\u2014about 1 in 10 Americans\u2014CHCs play a vital role in providing essential healthcare to underserved communities. They provide care to approximately one in five uninsured individuals, one in three people living in poverty, and one in five rural Americans. These groups and many other special populations served by CHCs are disproportionately burdened by chronic disease and experience non-clinical factors (e.g., environment, housing, food) that impede their ability to live healthy lifestyles. Yet, clinicians in these centers often lack the resources to drive lasting healthy behavior change. Thus, it is imperative to partner with organizations that support workforce development and training assistance for CHC clinicians nationwide.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scaling tools that treat the root cause<\/strong>  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ACLM\u2019s strategic partnership with NACHC will accelerate the integration of lifestyle medicine into CHCs nationwide. By expanding access to high-quality education, culturally responsive implementation models, and practical support, the partnership equips clinicians with tools to treat the root causes of chronic disease, empowering patients to make and sustain meaningful lifestyle changes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through this collaboration, NACHC members gain access to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n