Lifestyle Medicine Biography

My story follows the ACLM pathway to a recently seen Lifestyle Medicine Certification diagram.

Prepare, Register, Exam, then Practice.

I am a Cardiologist working with Southern Medical group and Tallahassee Memorial hospital since 1989. I was trained in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at Emory affiliated hospitals. Over the years, I have worked on changing habits and treating the Framingham risk factors for coronary artery disease, primary and secondary prevention. Over the past 20 years a more common presentation has been obesity and the associated metabolic conditions.

I have an active practice and am the medical director for Cardiac Rehabilitation at TMH. In 2017, I wanted our program to add more education and began a search for how to accomplish this goal. I discovered the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. I was drawn in by the approach to health, prevention, and chronic disease reversal by evidence-based lifestyle behavioral changes. I joined, signed up for the conference in Tucson, and began the process toward board certification. I took the inaugural exam and became certified.

I soon began a monthly education talk in Cardiac Rehab that included discussions about the risk factors for coronary artery disease, and secondary prevention. Patients in cardiac rehab have been hospitalized for heart attack, bypass surgery, coronary stent placements, valvular procedures, heart transplantation, and congestive heart failure. My talks included topics from ACLM 6 pillars to specific cardiac procedures.

With the help of Premier Health and Fitness, I began a phase 3 program in the community called Premier Rehab and Wellness. Our program at Premier had a BIA devise used at initiation and at 2 months. I began to see that body composition analysis could help measure health improvement.

Although I was not a frequent speaker in the past, giving an educational talk became a regular activity. Grand round lecture on Cardiac Rehab and Lifestyle Medicine. Presentations for the Internal Medicine Residents. Working with hospital dietitians for a Culinary Medicine program for the residents, Giving a lecture on Lifestyle Medicine approach for a Regional Dietician Meeting. This was all in 2018, the first year after joining ACLM.

At the ACLM meeting in Indianapolis, Dr. Cate Collings asked me to start a Cardiology members interest group. The Cardiology MIG started in February 2019, and I was the Chairman.

I am passionate about Lifestyle Medicine and cardiac prevention. I hope to continue research with Cardiac Rehab to improve patient care and outcomes. The knowledge I have gained since joining ACLM, has improved my Cardiology practice and patient outcome.