Lifestyle Medicine Program

Medici’s Lifestyle Medicine Program (LMP) helps people live healthier lifestyles

It’s proven to reduce risk and improve, prevent or even reverse (in some cases) many common diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Reduce your risk

You can reduce your risk of over 80% of the most common diseases— stroke, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer—through basic lifestyle habits: foods, activity, smoking cessation, and stress management.

What makes the LMP different?

Many people who seek care for illness receive treatments that control symptoms, but do not address what contributed to the illness – the root cause. In treatment-focused clinics, there is little time to explore the underlying lifestyle issues that affect health. 

The goal of the LMP is to treat the whole person - the mind, body and lifestyle - not the symptoms.

Our proprietary program was developed by our leading Lifestyle Medicine physician. Over the course of 12 weeks, your LMP team (including a physician, nutritionist, health counselor, exercise specialist, and care concierge) works in partnership with you to develop and implement a Healthy Living Plan.

The plan is tailored to you and what you feel confident and capable of changing.  Step by step, small changes turn into lasting, sustainable results. Patients who follow their plan often see quick and significant improvement in their health. 

Why should I enroll in the LMP?

Almost every chronic condition has roots in lifestyle. 

We develop our lifestyle over time – it is shaped by factors like family, stress, work, our social network, and education. And this lifestyle has an impact on our physical and emotional health. When lifestyle habits are poor, disease can develop or worsen. Fortunately, adopting healthier habits can:

  • alleviate disease symptoms, 

  • reduce risk of complications

  • reduce reliance on medications

  • improve mood, sense of well-being and happiness.

In some cases, the right lifestyle plan has been shown to reverse diseases

This can work for things like type 2 diabetes, prostate cancer and heart disease, in early stages. However, changing habits is not easy and often requires help. There can be confusion about what “changes” need to be made, such as what foods to eat and how much, and appropriate exercise routines. The LMP answers these questions through science-based guidance on what to change and how to do it. 

What types of conditions do you treat? 

The LMP can help improve conditions such as:

  • Tobacco Use / Smoking 

  • Diabetes (Type 2) 

  • Obesity / Excess Weight

  • High Cholesterol

  • High Blood Pressure

  • Fatty Liver

  • Heart Disease 

  • Chronic Stress, Anxiety and Depression

This is not a complete list; please call if your condition is not listed to see if we can help you. 

If I join the LMP, do I still need to see my primary care doctor?

Yes. The LMP team works with your primary care doctor but does not replace your primary care treatment. We support the work of the primary care doctor by focusing on the issues that are not routinely targeted in primary care settings. You will still see your primary care doctor for any routine, urgent and acute issues.

Program Outline

  • Initial appointment with our physician specialized in Lifestyle Medicine to discuss current issues, set goals and action plan.

  • Appointment with our Registered Dietitian, to follow up and go over set goals

  • Appointment with our Exercise Specialist to discuss healthy movement patterns and best exercise practices.

  • Appointment with a behavioral health counselor to assist in changing lifestyle patterns.

  • Lifestyle physician checks in with goal progression and discusses next steps.

Behavioral Health Integration

Behavioral Health Integration with the Lifestyle Program Collaborative Care Model

The collaborative Care Team is led by the physician and includes behavioral health care managers, psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. The team develops and implements a measurable-guided care plan based on evidence-based practice guidelines to help the patient and their families reach their clinical goals.

Our clinical team is composed of hand selected mental health professionals, psychiatrists, and administrators all dedicated to improving the way behavioral health is treated. A comprehensive screening process is in place to ensure an optimal fit with each treatment team. Our clinicians communicate regularly about each patient to ensure they are on track and intervene early if needed. 

Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) is a model for improving access to mental health treatment that enhances “usual” primary care by adding two key services: Care Management support for patients receiving behavioral health treatment,. Regular psychiatric inter-specialty consultation to the primary care team, particularly regarding patients whose conditions are not improving.

Patient

The patient (and family) is the most important person on the team! Patients receive the best care by participating actively with the practitioner and care manager. Patients work with the team to track progress towards treatment goals. From initial enrollment until all treatment goals are met, the patient is the focus of the entire Care Team.

Practitioner

The Practitioner (Primary Care Provider) oversees all aspects of the patient’s care. He/She works closely with the other members of the Care Team to make sure each enrolled patient receives the best care possible. The Practitioner will make and/or confirm diagnoses and may write or refill prescriptions for medications. The Practitioner works closely with your Care Manager to stay informed about each patient’s treatment progress. The Practitioner may also consult with the team psychiatrist if there are questions about the best treatment options.

Care Manager

The Care Manager (CM) works closely with patients and the Practitioner to develop, implement, and monitor a behavioral health treatment plan. The CM is available to answer questions and work with patients in crisis. Although the program offers one initial appointment, more visits can be added based on the initial assessment with the Lifestyle Physician, or at the discretion of the patient. The CM has frequent check-ins with each patient to keep track of treatment progress. The Practitioner and Case Manager work together with the patient if a change in treatment is needed. The CM may also provide counseling or refer patients for more formal (intensive) counseling if needed.

Psychiatric Consultant

The psychiatric consultant is an expert consultant to the Practitioner and Case Manager. The team psychiatrist is available to advise the Care Team about diagnostic questions or treatment options (especially if the patient does not improve with initial treatment). The CM meets regularly with the consultant to talk about the progress of the patients in the program and to develop additional treatment options.