Each of the following has demonstrated the highest standard of professional development and contribution to the field.

The following individuals have been awarded the prestigious status of Fellow . This distinguished honor recognizes them for their outstanding achievement in the field of Lifestyle Medicine and for their unwavering and exceptional dedication to advancing the mission of the College.

Ted D. Barnett

MD, FACLM

 

Sami A. Bég

MD, MPA, MPH, FACLM

 

Mark Berman

MD, FACLM

 

Marc Braman

MD, MPH, FACLM

 

Davis S. Drozek

DO, FACLM

 

Wayne Dysinger

MD, MPH, FACLM

 

Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. 

MD

 

David Ferriss

MD, MPH, FACLM, FACPM

 

Elisabeth Fontaine

MD

 

Elizabeth P. Frates

MD, FACLM

 

John E. Gobble

DrPH, RDN, LD, MCHIES, FACLM

 

Herbert N. Giebel

MD, MS, MPH, FAAFP, FACPM, FACLM

 

Michael Greger

MD, FACLM

George E. Guthrie

MD, MPH, CDE, FACLM, FAAFP

Michelle Hauser

MD, MPA, FACLM

David L. Katz

MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, FACLM

Jenny Sunghyun Lee

PhD, MPH, DipIBLM, FACLM

 

Thomas L. Lenz

PharmD, FACLM

 

Liana Lianov

MD, MPH, FACPM, FACLM

 

Johann Kim T. Mañez

MD, FACLM

 

Amanda McKinney

MD, FACLM

 

Dean Ornish

MD, FACLM

 

 

Mechelle Acero Palma

MD, MMHA, DipIBLM, FACLM

 

Joseph Raphael

DrPH, MBA, LMFT, MACLP, HAPM, CHES, FACLM

 

Richard S. Safeer

MD, FAAFP, FACLM

 

Dexter Shurney

MD, MBA, MPH, FACLM

 

Ronald W. Stout

MD, MPH, FACLM

 

Daniel J. Witkowski

MD, FACOG, FACLM

 

 

James Wu

PhD, MPH, MSPH, DipIBLM, FACLM

 

Wes Youngberg

DrPH, MPH, CNS, FACLM

 

Ted D. Barnett
MD, FACLM

 

Having practiced in the Rochester, NY area since 2006, Dr. Barnett is the founder, executive medical director and CEO of Rochester Lifestyle Medicine (RLM). With a BS in Intensive Biology from Yale University, he earned his MD from Tufts University School of Medicine, followed by a Flexible Internship with Framingham Union Hospital and a Diagnostic Radiology Residency at Tufts. Board Certified in Diagnostic Imaging, as well as Vascular and Interventional Radiology, he refers to himself as the high-tech doctor with low tech solutions. Dr. Barnett teaches a 6-week plant-based nutrition course which is accredited for 12 professional CMEs, in addition to patient education training offered by he and his RLM team.

BACK TO TOP ^

Sami A. Bég
MD, MPA, MPH, FACLM

 

Dr. Bég is a physician executive with a diverse set of experiences in the healthcare industry.  Trained in Preventive Medicine, Dr. Bég has been intricately involved in population health, leading product strategy and product development in the wellness and disease management industries.  Most recently Dr. Bég served as the first full-time Medical Director at Life Time Fitness, a $1.8B market cap company that operates more than a hundred multi-use sports and athletic, professional fitness, family recreation and spa centers in a resort-like environment.  At Life Time Fitness Dr. Bég lead the development of their employer based population health strategy, myHealthCheck, and was involved in the expansion of onsite health clinics. 

Dr. Bég is passionate about making the world a healthier and sustainable place for future generations, through lifestyle medicine, preventive medicine, population health, information technology, and the power of human and social capital. Currently he is busy with a start-up.

BACK TO TOP ^

Mark Berman
MD, FACLM

 

Mark Berman, MD trained in physical therapy (McGill), medicine (Yale) and primary-care internal medicine and population medicine (Harvard’s Brigham & Women’s Hospital). He completed a Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship at UCSF and spent time at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation working on obesity prevention policy. Obesity and lifestyle medicine, along with an interest in health information technology and behavior change, have been his focus since medical school. He is currently Director of Lifestyle Medicine at One Medical Group, VP of Health at Mark One Lifestyle Inc. (not named after me, really!) and a director of the ACLM Board since 2013.

Mark was born in South Africa, grew up in Canada and now lives and practices Lifestyle Medicine in San Francisco, CA. He is passionate about plant-based diets, active living and creating positive change in the world.

BACK TO TOP ^

Marc Braman
MD, MPH, FACLM 

 

Dr. Braman is the former President and Executive Director of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). He led efforts from ACLM’s early days through to getting Lifestyle Medicine on the professional map, building infrastructure, spear-heading the development of professional standards resulting in the first ever publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association on recommended Lifestyle Medicine Competencies for all providers, formal affiliation with the American College of Preventive Medicine, electronic publications development, formal relationship with Sage Publications and the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, annual national conferences, further developing the Advisory Board with the best experts, etc. Dr. Braman is experienced in clinical lifestyle medicine in solo and group practices, as well as hospital-based centers.

BACK TO TOP ^

Davis S. Drozek
DO, FACLM

 

Dr. David Drozek trained and practiced as a general surgeon for many years before his introduction to Lifestyle Medicine as a patient. Having personally experienced reversal of chronic lifestyle related disease, he transitioned into Lifestyle Medicine as a specialty. He teaches and is involved in research at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio, and has a small Lifestyle Medicine practice which serves as a teaching and research venue. His research is focused on the teaching and delivery of Lifestyle Medicine, especially for people with a lower socioeconomic status.

BACK TO TOP ^

Wayne Dysinger
MD, MPH, FACLM 

 

Dr. Dysinger currently serves as Chief Executive Officer for Lifestyle Medicine Solutions, a new model primary care concept that is built on Lifestyle Medicine principles along with a direct primary care funding mechanism.  He is also Medical Director of the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) and consults and teaches on Lifestyle Medicine issues around the world.  Dr. Dysinger was previously Chair, Department of Preventive Medicine, Loma Linda University.  He is a past President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, is on the board of the American College of Preventive Medicine, and has worked in various capacities with the American Medical Association and the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research. Dr. Dysinger earned his M.D. degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine (1986), and his MPH from Loma Linda University School of Public Health (1990).  He has previously worked in Guam, Atlanta and Dartmouth.

BACK TO TOP ^

Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr.
MD 

 

Dr. Esselstyn received his BA from Yale University and his MD from Case Western Reserve University. In 1956, pulling the No. 6 oar as a member of the victorious United States rowing team, he was awarded a gold medal at the Olympic Games. He was trained as a surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic and at St. George’s Hospital in London. In 1968, as an Army surgeon in Vietnam, he was awarded the Bronze Star. During his association with the Cleveland Clinic, which began in1968, Dr. Esselstyn served as president of the Staff and as a member of the Board of Governors. He chaired the Clinic’s Breast Cancer Task Force and headed its Section of Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery. His scientific publications number over 150, “The Best Doctors in America” 1994-1995 published by Woodward and White cites Dr. Esselstyn’s surgical expertise in the categories of endocrine and breast disease. In 1995, he published his bench mark long-term nutritional research arresting and reversing coronary artery disease in severely ill patients. That same study was updated at 12 years and reviewed beyond twenty years in his book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, making it one of the longest longitudinal studies of its type. Dr. Esselstyn and his wife, Ann Crile Esselstyn, have followed a plant-based diet for more than 26 years. Dr. Esselstyn presently directs the cardiovascular prevention and reversal program at The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute and serves on the Board of Directors of The Plantrician Project. The Esselstyns have four children and 10 grandchildren.

BACK TO TOP ^

David Ferriss
MD, MPH, FACLM, FACPM

Chief Medical Officer
Lifestyle Medicine Institute, LLC

David Ferriss joined Lifestyle Medicine Institute, LLC in October of 2017 where he serves as Chief Medical Officer.  In his role at LMI, he is responsible for the overall clinical integrity of all lifestyle medicine product offerings, including the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) and supports the LMI sales team.

Dr. Ferriss has over thirty years of experience as a practicing physician and medical executive with extensive experience in multiple aspects of population health.  His career includes a nineteen-year tenure with Cigna HealthCare, where he held various senior medical executive positions.  While at Cigna in the role of Medical Officer for Clinical Program Development, he implemented and facilitated three CHIP programs involving 200 participants.

Dr. Ferriss received his medical degree from Tulane University Medical School and completed residency training in family medicine at the University of Mississippi.Medical Center, preventive medicine training (MPH) at UCLA, and health service research training at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.  He is board-certified in preventive medicine and is a Fellow of both the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the American College of Preventive Medicine.  He has served two terms as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and is a founding board member of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM).

BACK TO TOP ^

Elisabeth Fontaine
MD

 

Elisabeth Fontaine, MD, is the Medical Director of Lifestyle Medicine and RiseVT at Northwestern Medical Center. A founding member of RiseVT, a community-based approach to embracing healthy lifestyles, she is also the Medical Director for RiseVT at the state level with OneCareVT. RiseVt is Community Collaborative to encourage healthy Lifestyle. She opened a Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at Northwestern medical Center in January 2018. Dr. Fontaine is Board Certified in OB GYN with a successful practice for 23 years not only delivering babies and treating women, yet also educating each patient on healthy behaviors. She is Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. She has a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology and Obesity. She has completed the Duke Leadership program in Integrative Medicine. Her interest as a physician has been in keeping her patients healthy with primary prevention – RiseVT. Her work with physician colleagues has connected this primary prevention approach to primary care as critical to the care continuum. She is dedicated to coaching a village to health. In her leisure time Dr. Fontaine, with family and friends, is very active traveling the world with biking and hiking always a part of her life. She wants everyone to feel as good as she does about living a healthy lifestyle - where healthy living is part of everyone’s life.

BACK TO TOP ^

Elizabeth P. Frates
MD, FACLM

 

Elizabeth Pegg Frates, MD, is trained as a physiatrist as well as a health and wellness coach. Dr. Frates is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Harvard College where she majored in psychology and biology. She then graduated from Stanford Medical School and did her internal medicine internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, after which she completed her physiatry residency at Harvard’s Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Frates has held a faculty appointment at Harvard Medical School (HMS) since 2000, and she is now an Assistant Professor, Part Time. She is an award-winning teacher at HMS. In 2008, she started the first Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group (LMIG) at HMS and has worked with ACLM to help other institutions develop LMIGs in her role as Board Liaison to the Professionals in Training Group. Two years ago, Dr. Frates developed and taught a college lifestyle medicine curriculum at the Harvard Extension School, which is one of the most popular courses offered at the school. In addition, to her academic work, Dr. Frates runs her own private practice, helping people adopt healthy habits, through Wellness Synergy, LLC. As the Director of Wellness Programming at the Stroke Institute for Research and Recovery at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Dr. Frates has created and implemented a twelve-month wellness program for stroke survivors and their caregivers. Co Author of the book, Life After Stroke: The Guide to Recovering Your Health and Preventing Another Stroke, co-author of three chapters on behavior change in different medical textbooks, and author of multiple journal articles on lifestyle medicine, Dr. Frates is currently working on writing her next book. She is passionate about developing programs focused on lifestyle medicine and wellness.

BACK TO TOP ^

John E. Gobble
DrPH, RDN, LD, MCHES, FACLM

 

Dr. Gobble is founder of Medical Nutrition Therapy Northwest, also known as the Lifestyle Medicine Group, a provider of medical nutrition therapy and therapeutic lifestyle medicine services. He’s also author and developer of technical and educational solutions for health behavior change including the MNT Assistant – data management and behavior change tools for Medical Nutrition Therapy. As health reform takes shape Dr. Gobble is working with primary care providers to demonstrate successful strategies for making Medical Nutrition Therapy and Lifestyle Medicine an integral part of 21st Century healthcare. This has led to the development of partnerships with primary care providers and community health organizations collaborating to deliver successful lifestyle medicine in the clinic and deliver programs such as the Complete Health Improvement Program, also known as CHIP, to the community.

BACK TO TOP ^

Herbert N. Giebel
MD, MS, MPH, FAAFP, FACPM, FACLM

 

Dr. Herb Giebel is a graduate of Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He is board certified in both Family Medicine and General Preventive Medicine. He has worked in Nigeria since 1998 where he spent 15 years as the Director of Postgraduate Medical Education for the West-Central Africa Division based at the Seventh-day Adventist Hospital in Ile-Ife. This included a 4-year Family Medicine Residency and a 1-year rotating internship. During the past 3 years he, has also worked with the new Lifestyle Medicine unit developed at the SDA Hospital in Ile-Ife. He will soon join the faculty at the Christian Medical College in Vellore, India to help set up a Lifestyle Medicine unit.

BACK TO TOP ^

Michael Greger
MD, FACLM

 

A founding member and Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Michael Greger, MD, is a physician, New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues.  He has lectured at the Conference on World Affairs, testified before Congress, and was invited as an expert witness in the defense of Oprah Winfrey in the infamous "meat defamation" trial. He is a graduate of Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine. Currently Dr. Greger serves as the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at The Humane Society of the United States. His latest book How Not to Die became an instant New York Times Best Seller. He has videos on more than 2,000 health topics freely available at NutritionFacts.org, with new videos and articles uploaded every day.

BACK TO TOP ^

George E. Guthrie
MD, MPH, CDE, FACLM, FAAFP

Dr. George Guthrie received his MD degree from Loma Linda University in 1981. After completing his Family Practice Residency at Hinsdale Hospital near Chicago he joined a multi-specialty medical group on the island of Guam. The high incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in his patients led to a growing interest in the effective lifestyle treatment of the disease.

A return to clinical practice took Dr. Guthrie to the foothills of the California Sierra Nevada Mountains where he continued to apply his community lifestyle medicine focus from a traditional allopathic medical clinic. He and his wife, Dena, successfully piloted and ran annual seven, week-long, community based programs designed to lower the risk of heart disease using lifestyle principles.

In the last few years Dr. Guthrie has had the privilege of being involved in the development several lifestyle change programs including the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP), The Wellspring Diabetes Program, and the CREATION Health program. This has led to the opportunity to speak on lifestyle medicine around the United States and other English speaking countries for a variety of audiences. In 2008 he had the opportunity to be host on a healthy living series for TV entitled, Your Life and Health.

BACK TO TOP ^

Michelle Hauser
MD, MPA, FACLM

 

Dr. Hauser is a Harvard Medical School trained, board certified internal medicine physician, certified chef and culinary medicine specialist with a Master of Public Policy and Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a Master of Science in Epidemiology and Clinical Research from Stanford University School of Medicine. She is also a teaching attending for Stanford Internal Medicine residents at Fair Oaks Health Center in Redwood City, California—a primary care clinic that treats medically underserved patients. Additionally, Dr. Hauser is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine. Her research blends her training in medicine, public policy, nutrition, epidemiology and culinary arts, as well as 15+ years of teaching experience, to focus on improving education and access to delicious, healthy food for medical students, practicing medical professionals and the general public. Current research topics include: community-based participatory research (CBPR) utilizing lifestyle change interventions and technology for those in underserved communities with, or at risk of, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity; food insecurity; food literacy; weight loss; diet quality; culinary medicine; lifestyle medicine; teaching nutrition and cooking skills; and medical education around lifestyle-based prevention topics. She also serves as Medical Safety Director for National Institutes of Health-sponsored clinical and community-based research trials testing technology interventions to help adults increase physical activity, promote healthy food choices, and prevent weight gain. Dr. Hauser currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

BACK TO TOP ^

David L. Katz
MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP, FACLM

 

Dr. David L. Katz is the founding director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center. He received his BA from Dartmouth College (1984; Magna Cum Laude); his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1988); and his MPH from the Yale University School of Public Health (1993). Katz is Director and founder of the Integrative Medicine Center at Griffin Hospital (2000) in Derby, CT, and founder and president of the non-profit Turn the Tide Foundation.

Known internationally for expertise in nutrition, weight management, and chronic disease prevention, as well as integrative care and patient-centered care models, Katz is active in patient care, research, teaching, and public health practice. He established and formerly directed one of the nation’s first combined residency programs in Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine, and served as Director of Medical Studies in Public Health at the Yale School of Medicine for 8 years.

Dr. Katz is a prominent voice in health & medicine in the media. He has published scientific articles, textbook chapters, newspaper columns and 12 books to date. He has consulted on obesity control and chronic disease prevention and is a peer reviewer for numerous leading medical journals.

BACK TO TOP ^

 

Jenny Sunghyun Lee
PhD, MPH, DipIBLM, FACLM

 

Dr. Jenny Lee is the first Korean-American board-certified Lifestyle Medicine Specialist, certified Health and Wellness Coach, certified National Wellness Practitioner, and certified Health Education Specialist. She is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Dr. Lee came abroad to USA to pursue her graduate studies, including: her doctoral specialty in Neuro-Motor Behavior Science and her post-doctoral degree in Master of Public Health with concentration of Health Behavior, Education, and Promotion in University of South Carolina along with her Master degree in Therapeutic Re-creation in Ohio State University. Dr. Lee has dedicated her career to promoting comprehensive health and wellness among medical professionals and the broader community over a decade, as a faculty of medical school and public health school. In pursuit of that aim, she has served as an educator, researcher, healthcare innovator, community health promoter, columnist, essayist, public speaker, and medical contributor at radio talk show.

As to a special LM movement in the East, Dr. Lee initiated founding Asian Society of Lifestyle Medicine where she currently serves as a president. She is also a founder and co-president of the Korean College of Lifestyle Medicine (former KALM) and Korean-American College of Lifestyle Medicine (KACLM). She is a member of Council of Directors, True Health Initiative and an advisory member, Lifestyle Medicine Global Association. In Am. College of LM, she serves as committee members of research, clinical process model development, and happiness science in healthcare. She also, serves as an advisory member of Lifestyle Medicine Education at NextGenUniv., an ambassador of Asia/Korea in European Lifestyle Medicine Organization. Moreover, Dr. Lee recently founded and directs Korea’s Wellness Lifestyle Medicine Care Center designed to transform healthcare and lives of Korean population in both Korea and USA.

BACK TO TOP ^

Thomas L. Lenz
PharmD, FACLM

 

Dr. Lenz is a tenured professor with appointments in the departments of Pharmacy Practice (primary) and Cultural & Social Studies (secondary) at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. His educational background consists of Bachelor and Master of Arts Degrees in Exercise Science, Doctor of Pharmacy degree, a Fellowship in Cardiovascular Research, and he is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Medical Anthropology. Dr. Lenz is the Director of the Center for Health Promotion and Well-Being, the Bachelor of Arts program in Healthy Lifestyle Management, the Master of Science program in Health and Wellness Coaching, and the Cardiovascular and Diabetes Risk Reduction employee health program. He is a Fellow in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and certified through the American College of Sports Medicine as a Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist.  Dr. Lenz has published over 100 articles and 2 textbooks on the topics of lifestyle medicine, cardiovascular pharmacotherapy, pedagogy, and disease prevention.

BACK TO TOP ^

Liana Lianov
MD, MPH, FACPM, FACLM

 

Dr. Liana Lianov is the Immediate Past President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has served as the General Preventive Medicine/Public Health Regent on the board of the American College of Preventive Medicine. She chaired the Lifestyle Medicine Task Force and the Lifestyle Medicine Competencies Working Group.

Her company, HealthTypeTM, offers consulting services and develops innovative interventions, including mobile technologies, for helping patients make sustainable health behavior changes.

Her previous roles include Vice President of Clinical Operations at Berkeley HeartLab-- where she directed a national cardiovascular disease and lifestyle management program, Director of the Healthy Lifestyles Division at the American Medical Association, and chief of the California Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Program and women’s cancer screening programs at the California Department of Health Services.

She is board certified in both preventive medicine/public health and internal medicine and has completed a psychiatry fellowship.

BACK TO TOP ^

Johann Kim T. Mañez
MD, FACLM

 

Dr. Mañez is one of the youngest professors among the faculty of the newly opened College of Medicine in the Adventist University of the Philippines located at Puting Kahoy, Silang, Cavite. The medical curriculum of the newly opened medical school itself is unique because it is presently the only medical curriculum in Asia and possibly the world, wherein Lifestyle Medicine has been incorporated and is presently being taught due in part, to the efforts of Dr. Mañez. His educational background consists of a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology, one in History, Philosophy and Religion and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. He finished his Medical Degree at the Manila Central University College of Medicine and initially underwent his first year of training as a resident of Internal Medicine at the Adventist Medical Center Manila before deciding to shift his education, teaching, and research and fulltime practice to Lifestyle Medicine. He is presently the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) Facilitator and Lifestyle Medicine Consultant of the Health & Wellness Department of the Adventist Medical Center Manila where they conduct both community-based (CHIP) and residential Lifestyle Medicine programs. He has conducted more than 350 seminars and lectures and several media appearances and interviews on Lifestyle Medicine and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors around the Philippines and several neighboring Asian and Pacific Island Countries. Dr. Mañez, together with his colleagues from Loma Linda-California, Manila-Philippines and New South Wales-Australia, recently published research on the successful outcomes of CHIP done in the Philippines, in one of the international peer reviewed scientific journals on nutrition. He is a Fellow in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and is a founding member of the Asian Society of Lifestyle Medicine and founder of the Philippine College of Lifestyle Medicine. He is presently the Head Doctor of Mediaxes Inc.’s MyPocketDoctor.com telemedicine service/app in the Philippines, where Lifestyle Medicine is a primary advocacy.

BACK TO TOP ^

Amanda McKinney
MD, FACLM

 

Dr. McKinney is the Director of Prerequisites for Health Professions at Doane University. She is currently developing a Lifestyle Medicine Curriculum for undergraduates and post baccalaureates entering the health professions. She has spent the last six years studying the medical science of nutrition and how lifestyle choices impact health, the economy and agricultural policies. Dr. McKinney has a special interest in nutrition in pregnancy and the influence of maternal diet in the role of the development of autism. She currently serves as the Planning Committee Chair for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

BACK TO TOP ^

Dean Ornish 
MD, FACLM

 

The recipient of the inaugural ACLM Lifestyle Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. Ornish is the founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and is Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He received his MD from the Baylor College of Medicine, was a clinical fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School, and completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Dean earned a BA in Humanities summa cum laude from the University of Texas in Austin, where he gave the baccalaureate address. For nearly 40 years, Dr. Ornish has directed clinical research demonstrating, for the first time, that comprehensive lifestyle changes may begin to reverse even severe coronary heart disease, without drugs or surgery. Recently, Medicare agreed to provide coverage for this program, the first time that Medicare has covered a program of comprehensive lifestyle changes. He directed the first randomized controlled trial demonstrating that comprehensive lifestyle changes may stop or reverse the progression of early-stage prostate cancer. His current research showed that comprehensive lifestyle changes affect gene expression, “turning on” disease-preventing genes and “turning off” genes that promote cancer and heart disease, as well as the first study showing that these lifestyle changes reverse aging by lengthening telomeres, the ends of our chromosomes which control aging (in collaboration with Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2009). He is the author of six books, all national bestsellers, including: Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease; Eat More, Weigh Less; Love & Survival; and his most recent book, The Spectrum.

BACK TO TOP ^

Mechelle Acero Palma
MD, MMHA, DipIBLM, FACLM

 

Dr. Mechelle Acero Palma is the Director of Education of the Asian Society of Lifestyle Medicine and the President of Remnant Institute Inc., a Center for Health and Education. She is also a Lifestyle Medicine Consultant and Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) facilitator at Bacolod Adventist Medical Center and Lifestyle Center of Southern Oklahoma. She is the Medical Director of Health and Gospel Ministry. She is a founding director of the Lifestyle Medicine department of Antique Medical Center and pioneered the development of Lifestyle Medicine Education curriculum in two universities in the Philippines. Dr. Palma earned her Medical Education at Iloilo Doctors College of Medicine and have residential training on Family and Community Medicine at Antique Medical Center. She had her post-doctoral degree in Master of Management in Hospital Administration at the Philippine Christian University. Dr. Palma was among the first six Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician in Asia who successfully passed the Inaugural Diplomate Exam conducted by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. She actively conducts training programs and seminars in Wellness and Lifestyle Medicine, Culinary Medicine and Medicinal farming under several programs of the Philippine government. She is an active resource person of different government agencies, local government units, peoples organization, religious groups, schools and universities in several regions of the country .

BACK TO TOP ^

Joseph Raphael, DrPH
MBA, LMFT, MACLP, HAPM, CHES, FACLM

 

An Integrative Lifestyle Medicine specialist, Joe earned his B.A. and B.S. from St. Mary's College, Moraga, his M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University, an M.B.A. in Healthcare Administration from Loma Linda University, and a Dr.P.H. Preventive Care Specialty from Loma Linda University. He is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He is a certified health education specialist, and a board-certified holistic alternative psychology master, an experienced therapist, nutritionist, personal trainer, teacher and professor, public speaker, consultant and administrator. Dr. Joe has successfully opened over twenty-five integrative medical practices. He also contributes lifestyle interventions for health promotion, behavioral medicine, evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy, and psychoneuroimmunology. He has delivered fitness, nutrition and behavioral modification syndicated media and professional presentations nationwide and is highly respected in his field.

Dr. Joe is constantly learning and training on the latest discoveries and passionate about providing knowledge to fellow medical professionals and the general population, making practical and realistic recommendations founded on evidence-based applied principles and individualized attention. On his free time, Dr. Joe enjoys reading, riding his bike and spending time with his wife and daughter.

BACK TO TOP ^

Richard S. Safeer
MD, FAAFP, FACLM

 

Richard is Medical Director of Employee Health & Wellness at Johns Hopkins HealthCare LLC. Dr. Safeer completed his Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at Cornell University before graduating from medical school at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at Franklin Square Hospital Center, in Baltimore, Maryland. After which, he completed a Faculty Development Fellowship at the Virginia Commonwealth University of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. He is also certified in Clinical Lipidology. Amongst his responsibilities at Hopkins, includes addressing the employee health initiative, Healthy At Hopkins. He is the clinical lead for the Employee Health Plan. As an assistant Professor in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine in the School of Medicine, he sees patients in the Hopkins Hospital Lipidology clinic, where he is able to instill lifestyle in to his practice. He also holds a joint appointment in the School of Public Health, Department of Health, Behavior and Society.

BACK TO TOP ^

Dexter Shurney
MD, MBA, MPH, FACLM

 

Dexter Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH, FACLM  is the Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Clinical Affairs for Zipongo, a San Francisco-based based digital health and wellness company. Dr. Shurney is the former Chief Medical Director / Executive Director for Global Health Benefits and Corporate Wellness for Cummins, Inc. Prior to Cummins, he was the Chief Medical Director of the Employee Health Plan for Vanderbilt University and Medical Center. During his tenure at Vanderbilt he also held joint faculty appointments as Assistant Clinical Professor, Division of Internal Medicine and Public Health, and Adjunct Faculty, Owens Graduate School of Management.

Other positions that Dr. Shurney has held include Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Healthways, Senior Health Policy Strategist in the Division of Government Affairs for the biotechnology company Amgen Inc., Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of medical affairs for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and Editor of the Journal of Managed Care Physicians.

Dr. Shurney serves on numerous boards including: the Global Business Group on Health, and the National Association of Managed Care Physicians. He was also the most recent Chair of the Business Strategies Committee for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)/National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP). Shurney is co-author of the book “Integrating Wellness into Your Disease Management Programs.” 
BACK TO TOP ^

Ronald W. Stout 
MD, MPH, FACLM

 

Dr. Ron Stout serves as Procter & Gamble’s NA Medical Director and Global Medical Leader for P&G’s Beauty, Health, Grooming, and Oral Care Business Sectors. His areas of responsibility at Procter & Gamble have included occupational medicine, pharmicovigilance (Safety Surveillance), MDVIP medical leader and Medical Affairs. Prior to joining P&G, Ron was the Medical Director for Preventive Medicine and Occupational Services at Kettering Health Network in Dayton, Ohio, with this role following his service in the United States Air Force in roles including: IMA, Office of the Air Force Surgeon General, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Consultant, Senior Preventive Medicine Consultant and a Principal Investigator, Air Force Health Study.

Currently serving on the NIOSH Board of Medical Advisors and as Ardmore Institute of Health Board Chair, Dr. Stout recently completed 9 years of service as a Trustee and vice- Chair of the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM). He has served the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) as a two term Regent, Chair of the Young Physicians Section, on the AMA Preventive Medicine Section Council and as AMA Young Physicians Section Delegate. In addition to his service on the ACPM Board, Dr. Stout has served the American College of Occupational & Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) as Chair of the Young Physicians Section, AMA Young Physicians Section Delegate, in the ACOEM House of Delegates and on the Board of Editors, Chemical Health & Safety. He is an early advocate and supporter of Lifestyle Medicine and served two board terms with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

Dr. Stout received his B.S. from Andrews University, his M.D. and Preventive Medicine training from Loma Linda University and his Family Medicine training at Hinsdale Hospital in Chicago, where he served as Chief Resident and earned a MPH-HA from Benedictine University. He later spent two years as an Occupational Medicine Fellow in the Internal Medicine Department at The Johns Hopkins University and was awarded a MPH from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Stout is Board Certified in Family Medicine, General Preventive Medicine and Public Health and Occupational Medicine.

BACK TO TOP ^

Daniel J. Witkowski 
MD, FACOG, FACLM

 

Dr. Daniel Witkowski is a board certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist, currently practicing Obstetrics and Gynecology at Women’s Healthcare Associates, in Melrose, Massachusetts where he has been in private practice since 1993. A nationally recognized public speaker and trainer, he serves as Chairman of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Hallmark Health Systems. He is the co-founder, with his wife Pamela, of Lifestyle Design MD, a program where they educate individuals, families, and medical practitioners on how to obtain optimal health and prevent and reverse chronic disease through nutrition, fitness, stress management, and lifestyle design. Having received his medical degree from Tufts University in Boston, MA in 1989, he completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He received his Certification in Plant Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Foundation and eCornell. He served for 10 years on National Quality of Care and Patient Safety Committees for the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) and has contributed to the ACOG publications of Guidelines for Prenatal Care, Vol. 7 and Quality and Safety in Women’s Healthcare 2nd Edition. He has also published Patient Safety articles.

BACK TO TOP ^

James Wu
PhD, MPH, MSPH, DipIBLM, FACLM

 

James Wu is a professional member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). He is also one of the founding members and the First president of the Asian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM). He is one of the founding members of the Chinese Society of Lifestyle Medicine (CSLM). He is among the First group of Diplomates certiFied by the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM) in 2017. He is being awarded the prestigious status of Fellow by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (FACLM) in 2018. His main interest is to collaborate service organizations in the Field of health and lifestyle medicine to implement wholistic health. Preparing competent workers via education and coaching for the sustainability of lifestyle medicine is his aspiration. James got his Bachelor in Liberal Arts major in Religious Philosophy at Spicer Memorial College, Pune, India. After 10 years of services in Hong Kong, he got his master degrees at Loma Linda University, California, with a Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) in International Health, and Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Administration. After another 15 years of service career in health, church ministry, and hospital administration, James obtained his PhD in Leadership and Administration at Andrews University, Michigan, USA. James’ research was on collaborative leadership in the implementation of Adventist lifestyle programs.

BACK TO TOP ^

Wes Youngberg
DrPH, MPH, CNS, FACLM

 

Dr. Youngberg is a practicing lifestyle medicine specialist and clinical nutritionist in Southern California. He was trained at Loma Linda University where he received a Master’s in Nutrition and a Doctorate of Public Health in Preventive Care. He is an assistant clinical professor at Loma Linda University for the Department of Health Promotion at the School of Public Health and the Department of Preventive Medicine at the School of Medicine. After 14 years on the island of Guam as Director of the Guam SDA Clinic Wellness Center, he now consults with clients nationally and internationally from the Youngberg Lifestyle & Nutritional Medicine Clinic in Temecula, California. He is a sought after speaker and has enjoyed presenting seminars to lay audiences and professional conferences throughout the Pacific, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Dr. Youngberg has over 25 years of experience using integrative lifestyle therapies for diabetes control, depression recovery, cardiovascular disease reversal, optimizing digestive health and effective management of many chronic health conditions. He is a founding director and fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and is a certified nutrition specialist. He is also the author of Goodbye Diabetes and speaker for the new on-line educational video series “Diabetes Undone”. As a compliment to reading his new book, Hello Healthy, Dr. Youngberg invites you to watch his free “12 Weeks to Optimal Health & Healing” series by registering at DrYoungberg.com.

BACK TO TOP ^