ACLM names 2026 scholars committed to expanding access to lifestyle medicine

Since 2021, ACLM has provided 110 underrepresented in medicine (UIM) clinicians and public health leaders with training and certification in lifestyle medicine at no-cost, leading the charge to diversify the lifestyle medicine workforce.

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has announced the recipients of its 2026 Health Equity Achieved through Lifestyle Medicine (HEAL) Initiative scholarships. The 10 scholars represent a distinguished cohort of healthcare professionals committed to expanding access to evidence-based lifestyle medicine in historically underserved communities. The scholarship program reflects ACLM's commitment to ensuring that the fastest-growing medical specialty is representative of the diverse populations most impacted by chronic disease.

Lifestyle medicine is a medical specialty that uses therapeutic lifestyle interventions as a primary treatment modality to treat, reverse, and prevent chronic disease. Grounded in six evidence-based pillars, including optimal nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, connectedness, and avoidance of risky substances, lifestyle medicine provides a powerful framework for addressing the root causes of chronic disease while advancing health equity.

Since its launch in 2020, the HEAL Initiative has been creating pathways for clinicians and public health professionals from underrepresented backgrounds to access lifestyle medicine education, certification, and leadership development opportunities. Today, the HEAL community comprises more than 1,400 professionals who leverage the Community-Engaged Lifestyle Medicine (CELM) framework to improve health outcomes for communities that are historically medically underserved and under-resourced.

ACLM's HEAL Initiative Scholarship program launched in 2021 and has awarded more than 100 clinicians and public health professionals with training and board certification in lifestyle medicine—an investment of nearly $400,000. The scholarship is designed to remove financial barriers that can prevent UIM clinicians from pursuing advanced training in lifestyle medicine. Each scholar receives a one-year ACLM membership, registration to ACLM's annual conference, the "Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review" course, and coverage of American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) examination and certification fees, a value of up to $4,295 per scholar.

"Beyond financial support, the scholarship creates a pathway to mentorship, professional networking, leadership development, and specialty certification," said ACLM Director of Community Health Stacia Johnston. "By investing in clinicians serving under-resourced populations, ACLM is helping build local capacity for chronic disease prevention and treatment while expanding the reach of lifestyle medicine in communities that have historically faced barriers to healthcare access."

Communities experiencing the greatest burden of chronic disease often have the least access to clinicians who share their cultural backgrounds and can deliver care that is both evidence-based and culturally responsive. The HEAL Initiative Scholarship helps mitigate this barrier to ensure communities of color, rural populations, and other historically under-resourced groups have an expanded pool of providers who understand their lived experiences. While these groups continue to face disproportionately high rates of diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and other chronic conditions, ACLM is committed to strategies that address these disparities and ensure that all patients have access to clinicians who understand their unique experiences and challenges.

A cornerstone of the initiative's success has been ACLM's commitment to building strategic partnerships with organizations that are deeply embedded in underserved communities. Through collaborations with organizations such as the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), National Medical Association (NMA), and the National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), ACLM promotes HEAL scholarship opportunities directly to clinicians practicing on the front lines of care in communities disproportionately affected by chronic disease. These partnerships help ensure that the program reaches healthcare professionals already serving high-need patient populations and creates pathways for them to implement lifestyle medicine interventions.

The 2026 HEAL Initiative Scholars are: 

Adalys E. Díaz, LAc, DiplOM
Díaz Acupuncture & Integrative Health
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Jamal Jarrett, MD, MPH,
Atrium Health
Charlotte, N.C.

Maili Velez-Dalla Tor, MD, FAAFP, DipABOM,
Emanate Health
West Covina, Calif. 

Catalina Alain, DNP, FNP-BC, AAHIVS
Florida State University
Orlando, Fla.

Kathleen Christophe, MD, MPH, NBC-HWC
Health Advocate
Oakhurst, N.J.

Martine Altieri, PA-C, MHSc
My Cardiologist/CVAUSA
Boca Raton, Fla.

Alejandra Cabral, FNP-BC
TrueCare
San Marcos, Calif. 

Ivan N. Zama, MD, FAAHPM
University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center
Largo, Maryland

Otoniel Santiago, RDN, LD
Suvida Healthcare
Dallas, Texas 

Gina Becerra, MS, RDN
Borinquen Medical Centers
Miami, Fla. 

About ACLM®
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) is the nation's medical professional society building the infrastructure to scale lifestyle medicine as the new standard of care. ACLM translates evidence-based lifestyle interventions into education, certification, and implementation, equipping physicians, healthcare professionals, and systems of care to treat the root causes of chronic disease. Since 2004, ACLM has trained more than 100,000 health professionals and made more than 1.75 million hours of accredited continuing education available through courses and conferences for physicians and health professionals. With hundreds of institutional partners worldwide, ACLM is helping healthcare move from a system designed to manage disease to one capable of restoring health.

SOURCE American College of Lifestyle Medicine