#313: Creating Innovative Lifestyle Medicine Initiatives with Lily Correa, RD
“That's been the best or the most successful thing that I've ever done… you know, creating these partnerships and helping people to just spread the word about lifestyle medicine or even foreign partnerships in order to create more programs.” — Lily Correa
In this episode of I AM HUMAN, I interview Lily Correa, MPH, RD about the incredible and inspiring work that her amazing team is doing at NYC Health + Hospitals. We learn about her plant-based journey and how her work is so gratifying, but requires patience and perseverance. She also gives tips for how other health care professionals can make an impact and influence those around them.
Our conversation is not just about food; it's about rewriting the script of patient care. We unwrap the stories of plant-based athletes defying expectations and the community-centric model that elevates the role of diet and exercise in managing health. The Bellevue Hospital program isn't just a clinic; it's a beacon of change, demonstrating the sustainability and impact of a shared medical appointment model. Lily and her team, under the visionary leadership of Dr. Michelle McMacken, have crafted a legacy of empowerment, enabling patients to flourish in their health journeys through education and whole-person care. Lily's aspiration to author a Spanish-language plant-based cookbook speaks to her dedication to diversifying the nutrition dialogue.
Lily Correa, MPH, RD, is a passionate advocate for plant-based nutrition, seeing the kitchen as a powerful tool for promoting health and wellness. As a registered dietitian and bilingual health educator, she honed her skills at Kaiser Permanente in Riverside, CA, where she led plant-based cooking classes and developed a ‘culinary curriculum.’ Her commitment led her to New York, where she studied health-supportive culinary arts at the Natural Gourmet Institute and contributed to launching the Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. In 2022, she became the Director of Education and Training for the Office of Nutrition & Lifestyle Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals Central Office, aiming to expand the Bellevue model citywide. Lily's expertise extends to presenting at academic conferences and community organizations, reflecting her dedication to advancing nutrition and lifestyle medicine, recognized by her Diplomate status from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Discussion points:
(0:00:00 - 0:05:10) Lily Correa introduction and family journey to plant-based diets, and moving to the U.S. from Peru.
(0:05:11 - 0:11:32) Lily's plant-based journey was influenced by her grandfather, a Seventh-day Adventist pastor, including the role of diet in managing his Type 2 Diabetes. The impact of immigration on dietary habits and health, as well as misconceptions about plant-based diets for athletes.
(0:11:33 - 0:21:22) Lily's path from English literature to nutrition and public health- highlighting the significance of registered dietitians in culinary medicine.
(0:21:23 - 0:30:44) The growth and success of the Bellevue Hospital team, under Dr. Michelle McMacken's leadership, the clinic's shared medical appointment model, financial sustainability, and the potential influence of the “Bellevue Model” on health care across New York City and beyond.
(0:30:45 - 0:40:28) Strategies for implementing lifestyle medicine programs and building supportive teams within healthcare systems. Patient success stories and the challenges of navigating established healthcare systems.
(0:42:46) Final questions - success, goals, dreams, what we wish people knew, personal and global implications of dietary choices, the concept of legacy through success in healthcare, and the balance between work and personal life. Lily's goal to create a Spanish-language plant-based cookbook and the significance of each individual's story.
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Lily Correa
Registered Dietitian/Bilingual Health Educator
Lily Correa is passionate about plant-based nutrition and firmly believes that the kitchen is the greatest tool from which to promote optimal health and wellness.
Lily worked as a registered dietitian/bilingual health educator at the preventive medicine department at Kaiser Permanente in Riverside, Calif. During her time at Kaiser, Lily was the co-lead dietitian for the demonstration kitchen at the outpatient clinic, where she developed a culinary curriculum and led plant-based focused cooking classes for patients and staff.
Lily worked at Kaiser for three years before moving to New York to pursue health-supportive culinary arts studies at the Natural Gourmet Institute (NGI). After graduating from NGI, Lily joined the team that helped develop and launch NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue’s Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine Program—an innovative, multidisciplinary healthcare team-based program to help patients reduce their cardiometabolic risk. The Bellevue program is among the first of its kind in a public hospital system in the United States.
In 2022, Lily joined the Central Office team at NYC Health + Hospitals as the Director of Education and Training for the newly founded Office of Nutrition & Lifestyle Medicine. The mission of the Office of Nutrition & Lifestyle Medicine is to expand the Bellevue Lifestyle Medicine model to six new NYC Health + Hospitals sites across all five boroughs of NYC, thereby increasing the reach of these potentially life-saving services to more high-risk communities throughout the city.
Lily has presented on topics of nutrition and lifestyle medicine at numerous academic conferences, nationally and internationally, and for community-based organizations in both English and Spanish. She is a Diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
The information on this blog, website and podcast is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to replace careful evaluation and treatment. If you have concerns about your or your child’s eating, nutrition or growth, consult a doctor.
Resources:
Lily Correa IG: @lilyc_rd
Lily Correa Linktree: https://linktr.ee/lilyc_rd
David’s success story: https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/patientstories/trading-cuchifritos-for-couscous-and-a-healthier-life/
Advancing Lifestyle Medicine in New York City’s Public Health Care System: https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S2542454824000201
PPOD Conference: https://www.preventionofdisease.org/agenda-june-2024