There is overwhelming evidence demonstrating the impact of poor nutrition on health, specifically among diseases such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. These diet-related chronic diseases now account for half of all deaths in the United States and have replaced tobacco as the leading causes of preventable death and illness worldwide. Below is a list of 5 NYC hospital programs that use food and nutrition to prevent or manage diet-related chronic diseases among their patients.

---

Bellevue Hospital

Name of program: Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Program
Location: Manhattan
Year it Started: The program was initiated as a pilot in 2018 .
Target Population: Adult patients living with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or other health concerns related to obesity.
How the Program Uses Food: The Plant-Based Lifestyle Program provides patients living with diet-related chronic diseases support in making lifestyle changes that optimize health, lower the risk of disease complications, and improve overall well-being. The program focuses on six aspects of lifestyle change: a healthy plant-based diet, physical activity, stress reduction, sleep health, social connectedness, and avoidance of risky substances, and includes individual appointments as well as group classes. In addition, participants have access to a plant-based doctor, a registered dietitian, and a health coach. In 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced that the program is scheduled to expand to serve qualifying NYC Health + Hospitals patients at Jacobi, Lincoln, Woodhull, Kings County, and Elmhurst, and Gotham Health, Vanderbilt hospitals.
Learn More:

• Plant-based Lifestyle Program (NYC Health + Hospitals)
• May Adams, NYC Health + Hospitals Expand Access to Lifestyle Medicine Services City-Wide (NYC Health + Hospitals)
• NYC Health & Hospitals Designs Plant-Based Diet Program to Help Patients With Chronic Disease (Modern Healthcare)