Delivering lifestyle medicine to the community: A YMCA example 

A University of Mississippi Medical Center team is studying the success of lifestyle medicine delivered in a nontraditional health care setting such as a YMCA. Dr. Josie Bidwell, who leads the program, will be a featured panelist at ACLM’s annual conference, Lifestyle Medicine 2025, discussing the intersection of clinical-community health.  

In a state that leads the nation in chronic disease and poor health outcomes, a University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) health team is bringing care into the community—partnering with the Flowood YMCA to launch its first lifestyle medicine clinic on site.  

The Mississippi State Department of Health’s Mississippi Public Health Report Card 2023 showed the state as ranking among the country’s highest for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity rates.  

“Many of the major causes of illness and death that hold Mississippi back are preventable by improvements in community and individual health,” the Department of Health has reported.  

Now, UMMC and the YMCA are working to combat these community health challenges through a fresh approach to lifestyle medicine in the Metro Jackson area, delivered directly to community members where they live, work and play. 

Making it happen 

ACLM Board of Directors Member,  Josie Bidwell, DNP, RN, FNP-C, DipACLM, FACLM, professor and clinical director for UMMC’s Department of Preventive Medicine, and director for its Office of Well-being, leads the team that sets up shop at the YMCA each Monday. She’s joined by a nurse practitioner, dietitian and exercise physiologist. Team members rotate, so that they each see program participants every other week. Program participation includes a three-month YMCA membership so participants can visit as often as they like on their own time. There is no cost to participate. 

After an initial assessment, the team’s exercise physiologist creates a customized workout plan, walking each participant through safe, effective ways to use the YMCA equipment. Participants collaborate with the team’s dietitian and family nurse practitioner on nutrition and health goals;  a menu of group classes, cooking demonstrations and other opportunities will be available this summer.   

The Ardmore Institute of Health has funded the program to study the success of lifestyle medicine delivered in a nontraditional health care setting.  

“Our aim is to set patients up for success and create a model that can be replicated in other communities,” Dr. Bidwell said. 

Having a gym membership, and feeling comfortable going there, can be a barrier for some patients, she added.  The study will also look at YMCA utilization as correlates to health outcomes. 

“It’s extremely intimidating walking into a gym, not knowing how to use the equipment,” said UMMC family nurse practitioner Lauren Turner, FNP-C, MSN, DipACLM.     

“This will give patients the confidence and know-how to get started and keep improving their results.”

‘A one-stop shop makes sense’ 

LeRoy Falcon, president and CEO of Metropolitan YMCAs of Mississippi, said the marrying of lifestyle medicine-based health care with an organization like the Y is a natural fit, “as we have a shared belief in working together to make our communities healthy.” 

“This collaboration aims to strengthen both community health and overall well-being,” he noted. 

That includes socialization and mental health support programs, activities and groups that build bonds and friendships and address depression, and campaigns that bring people into the Y for important health checks.  

The Flowood YMCA hosts a range of services supporting health, including diabetes and blood pressure programming, water aerobics, senior citizens activities, group exercise classes, a Next Steps program for hip or knee replacement patients, and more. 

“We’re excited about what UMMC Lifestyle Medicine is bringing to the table,” Falcon said. “The upcoming rollout of Walk with a Doc is one great example, giving patients a chance to informally exercise with a doctor.I think in the future, we’ll see more collaborations like this between community and health care. A one-stop shop makes sense.” 

Lifestyle medicine for life 

UMMC exercise physiologist Tommy Berg, NSCA-CSCS, said he hopes the program will encourage patients to make exercise a lifelong habit. 

Data will be collected at the end of three months to see how weigh-ins, dietary recall, physical activity reporting, journaling, waist circumference, grip strength, A1C and blood pressure ranges compare to the start of each patient’s journey toward improved health. Final measures will also look at whether patients who visited the gym more often on their own time saw better results.  

The goal for patients is to see significant changes within three months, Turner said.  

“Everyone knows lifestyle medicine works – this program will help determine if patients experience better results in a gym-based environment,” she said. “Most of these people are coming two to three times a week now. They are trying. Our hope is that they will continue after the study concludes.” 

Rebecca Turner, MS, RDN, LD, DipACLM, UMMC Department of Preventive Medicine registered dietitian nutritionist – who works with patients on the basics of food and nutrition, the lifestyle medicine plate, menu planning, grocery shopping and other aspects of food as medicine – said she sees the YMCA collaboration as “a real positive.” 

UMMC patients living close to the Y were recruited for the study, and already, word of mouth has led others to stop by and inquire about the program. 

“People are so excited,” Falcon said. “With the physical and mental benefits comes the sense of community that the YMCA offers. Hopefully, other communities will be encouraged to say, ‘my Y can do this too.’” 

Growing partnerships with YMCA 

In fact, other lifestyle medicine leaders across the country are partnering with the YMCA to deliver impactful health services. For example, St. Luke’s Health System (SLHS) launched a lifestyle medicine clinic in 2018 within a dedicated space at the South Meridian YMCA in Meridian, Idaho. 

This collaboration allows SLHS and the YMCA to refer patients to one another, giving individuals access to both intensive lifestyle medicine care and strong community-based support for lasting health behavior change. The SLHS lifestyle medicine team also shares their expertise through YMCA community lectures and wellness programming. 

Thanks to the program’s success, SLHS is expanding its lifestyle medicine services to a YMCA location in Boise. The new site will also include SLHS Pediatric Lifestyle Medicine, Pediatric Integrative Medicine, and Community Health services. 

“By bringing all these SLHS entities together, we can strengthen our partnership with the YMCA and develop shared programming,” said Medical Director of the St. Luke’s Department of Lifestyle Medicine Jennifer Shalz, MD, DipABIM, DipABLM, FACLM.