- The partnership will establish a national and global network of certified Blue
Zones clinicians by creating a new certification status: Blue Zones-Certified
Physician” or “Blue Zones-Certified Healthcare Professional, an opportunity
exclusively available to physicians and other health professionals who have
already earned their certification in the field of lifestyle medicine through
ACLM, the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine (ABLM) or the International
Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM). ABLM serves as the certification body for
physicians in the U.S., while ACLM certifies eligible U.S.-based non-physicians.
Outside the U.S., IBLM serves as the certification body. To date, nearly 7,000
physicians and medical professionals have earned their ABLM, ACLM or IBLM
certifications in the field of lifestyle medicine, with thousands more who will
become certified in 2024. All will be eligible to pursue Blue Zones Certification
beginning in 2025. Through this partnership, a nationwide and global network
is being established of Lifestyle Medicine and Blue Zones-Certified Physicians
and Healthcare Professionals. Founded in 2016 by the ACLM, the Lifestyle
Medicine Global Alliance (LMGA) now operates as a special project of the IBLM,
serving to unite the world’s lifestyle medicine medical professional
associations. To date, clinicians in 75 countries around the world have been
certified in the field of lifestyle medicine.
- In addition to creating the new certification opportunity, Blue Zones will be
recognized as the exclusive founding partner of the Center for Lifestyle
Medicine Innovation (CLMI). This Center will serve as a hub for research,
innovation, thought leadership and knowledge sharing.
- Blue Zones will be recognized as an ACLM National Training Initiative (NTI)
Impact Partner. The NTI provides lifestyle medicine training and certification
scholarships to educate and equip one primary care provider (PCP) in each of
our nation’s ~1,400 federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), with the goal of
infusing lifestyle medicine into our nation’s most under-resourced
communities
- Blue Zones will invite clinicians in the communities it serves to engage in
ACLM’s complimentary 5.5-hour CME/CE-accredited Lifestyle Medicine and
Food as Medicine Essentials course. This online training features an
Introduction to Lifestyle Medicine, Nutrition for Prevention and Longevity, and
Nutrition for Treatment and Risk Reduction. This free offer represents a $220
per registration savings! Through this, Blue Zones is joining ACLM in support of
the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.
- Through this new partnership, ACLM will provide practice advancement
consultative support to health systems integrating lifestyle medicine in Blue
Zones Project, Activate™️, and Ignite™️ communities communities, leveraging ACLM’s
comprehensive catalogue of patient-facing and clinical practice tools and
resources and implementation briefs amassed through the innovative work of
ACLM’s 108-member Health Systems Council.
- Blue Zones and ACLM hope to establish Lifestyle Medicine Interest Groups
(LMIGs) on medical school and other healthcare program university campuses
within Blue Zones Project, Activate, and Ignite Communities, adding to the
more than 140 active ACLM LMIGs.
- Blue Zones and ACLM will introduce the opportunity for the Lifestyle Medicine
Residency Curriculum (LMRC) to already established medical residencies within
Blue Zones Project, Activate, and Ignite communities.
- This powerful synergy between care inside and outside hospital and clinic walls
signifies a paradigm shift in healthcare. Together, Blue Zones and ACLM are
leading the charge to revolutionize the way healthcare is delivered and
experienced with a shared vision of healthier, stronger, and more resilient
communities across the nation.
What will the Blue Zones partnership do?
