In June 2011, the Bush Foundation announced the selection of 18 new Bush Fellows — the first cohort of the redesigned Bush Fellowship Program. Through courageous leadership and by bringing diverse opinions together, they will work through the tough problems their communities face to find meaningful solutions. Mary Dieter Larson (’88), Lifestyle Medicine Provider, at Family HealthCare Center was among those selected. Mary will work towards integration of lifestyle medicine into every visit to facilitate primary prevention of chronic conditions. Excerpt from Larson’s proposal:
“Lifestyle health concerns cross economic divisions, affect every age group, all racial groups and both genders. However, individuals who have limited access to health care, lower levels of education, fewer economic resources, and are ethnic minorities suffer the consequences of lifestyle health conditions at significantly higher rates than their counterparts. At the same time, health care systems provide services focused on acute and episodic conditions and do not address in a systematic manner the lifestyle factors foundational to good health for these individuals. My vision is to serve this particular community by engaging partners within primary health care settings to integrate lifestyle medicine into every visit and to work with individuals and organizations in the community to foster healthy choices by creating healthier living environments.”
If you are interested in learning more about this work, please contact Mary Dieter Larson (’88) at 218-790-4778.