#United States #St. Louis #American College of Lifestyle Medicine #Lifestyle Medicine Residency #Stephen Turner Scholarship

ACLM Announces Winners of 2026 Dr. Stephen Turner Residency Director and Faculty Scholarship

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) has proudly announced the recipients of the 2026 Dr. Stephen Turner Residency Director and Faculty Scholarships. Aimed at enhancing the integration of lifestyle medicine within residency programs, these scholarships underscore the importance of incorporating therapeutic lifestyle interventions into healthcare training across the nation.

Fifteen individuals, recognized for their commitment to advancing lifestyle medicine, have been awarded the scholarships, which cover essential training and certification costs. This initiative is primarily designed for residency program directors and faculty members who aspire to integrate lifestyle medicine into their educational curriculum, ultimately preparing future healthcare providers for real-world medical challenges.

Vital Role of Lifestyle Medicine in Health Care

Lifestyle medicine focuses on using lifestyle changes—such as improved nutrition, increased physical activity, adequate sleep, and stress management—as primary interventions for treating chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Despite its efficacy, education in lifestyle medicine has traditionally been limited within medical training programs, leading to a gap in preparation for physicians to address these pressing health issues.

Launched in 2018, the Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum (LMRC) developed by the ACLM aims to bridge this gap by providing a comprehensive and adaptable curriculum designed to equip doctors with the knowledge necessary for implementing evidence-based lifestyle interventions in their practices. The curriculum also enables residency program graduates to meet the requirements for the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) certification exam.

The Importance of Scholarship Support

The Dr. Stephen Turner Scholarship, established through a generous contribution from Dr. Stephen Turner, a pioneer in the field of lifestyle medicine and a Mayo Clinic nephrologist, is an integral part of this educational initiative. The recipients will not only receive financial support for certification but also enjoy exclusive benefits such as one-year ACLM membership, registration for the ACLM annual conference, enrollment in the Foundations of Lifestyle Medicine Board Review course, and coverage of ABLM exam fees.

Brenda Rea, MD, DrPH, the ACLM Medical Director of Education, emphasized the significance of these scholarships in shaping future healthcare practitioners. She stated, “The future of healthcare hinges on our ability to educate contemporary physicians effectively. These scholarship recipients are preparing the next generation to tackle chronic diseases by utilizing evidence-based lifestyle modifications.”

Who Are the Recipients?

Here is the list of the scholarship recipients along with their affiliated institutions:

1. Allison Adams, MD - University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
2. Ana Abril Arias, MD - Natividad Family Medicine Residency, Salinas, CA
3. Andrew Berta, MD - Chestnut Hill Family Medicine Residency, Philadelphia, PA
4. Christine Black-Langenau, DO - Bryn Mawr Family Medicine Residency, Bryn Mawr, PA
5. Mary C. Boyce, MD, FAAFP - Wesley Family Medicine Residency, Wichita, KS
6. Michael D. Cheshire, DO, FACOI, FACP, FNLA - WVU School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV
7. Rosa J. Joseph, DO, MPH - FSU-BayCare Family Medicine Residency Program, Winter Haven, FL
8. Lucas T. Kane, DO - Cahaba Medical Care, Birmingham, AL
9. Sarah Stokes Kane, DO - Cahaba Medical Care, Birmingham, AL
10. Adan Romero, MD, DABOM - LK Healthcare, West Hollywood, CA
11. Annashia Shera, MD, MS, FACP - University of New Mexico Division of General Internal Medicine, Albuquerque, NM
12. Christie M. Thomas, MD - University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
13. Allan Wagner, DO - Community Memorial Healthcare, Ventura, CA
14. Blake Motley Watts, MD - Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program, Sugar Land, TX
15. SarahKay Welch, DO - Adventist La Grange Family Medicine Residency, Chicago, IL

The ACLM continues to strive for excellence in training healthcare professionals and is committed to ensuring that physicians are equipped to provide holistic care that emphasizes prevention and lifestyle intervention. With lifestyle medicine increasingly recognized as a critical part of effective healthcare, the development of residency programs incorporating these strategies represents a significant step forward in achieving better health outcomes for populations affected by chronic conditions.