On today’s episode of What’s Going On, we spotlight community giving and innovative approaches to better health, featuring two powerful conversations making a real difference in Philadelphia. Rodney McLeod & Change Our Future Holiday Giveaway
We begin with former Philadelphia Eagle and Super Bowl champion Rodney McLeod and his wife Erika, who continue their commitment to service through their nonprofit, Change Our Future. This holiday season, they are expanding their impact by adopting 10 families and providing 250 Philadelphia children with winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, toys, and food. Rodney shares the inspiration behind the organization and details their upcoming holiday giveaway designed to support families during the coldest months of the year.
Event Details
🎄 Change Our Future Holiday Giveaway
📅 Monday, December 22, 2025
⏰ 4:30 PM
📍 Furness High School
1900 S. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA Families will receive:
🌐 Website: https://www.changeourfuture.org
📱 Instagram: @changeourfuture
📘 Facebook: Change Our Future
A New Approach to Weight Management & Lifestyle Medicine at Jefferson Health
As obesity rates and chronic disease continue to rise, Jefferson Health is taking a more accessible approach to prevention by bringing evidence-based weight management and lifestyle medicine directly into primary care. Backed by a $2.4 million award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Jefferson is launching a year-long, virtual lifestyle medicine program focused on helping participants build sustainable, real-world habits for better health. Joining us is Dr. Anna Flattau, Chief of Primary Care at Jefferson Health, who explains how the program works, who is eligible, and how the model—centered on nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and social connection—can help improve outcomes for patients across the region.
Jefferson Health – Learn More
🌐 Website: www.jeffersonhealth.org
Jefferson Health Lifestyle Medicine
📞 Phone: 1-800-JEFFERSON (1-800-533-3746)
📱 Instagram: @jeffersonhealth
📘 Facebook | X | LinkedIn: Jefferson Health
We begin with former Philadelphia Eagle and Super Bowl champion Rodney McLeod and his wife Erika, who continue their commitment to service through their nonprofit, Change Our Future. This holiday season, they are expanding their impact by adopting 10 families and providing 250 Philadelphia children with winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, toys, and food. Rodney shares the inspiration behind the organization and details their upcoming holiday giveaway designed to support families during the coldest months of the year.
Event Details
🎄 Change Our Future Holiday Giveaway
📅 Monday, December 22, 2025
⏰ 4:30 PM
📍 Furness High School
1900 S. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA Families will receive:
- Winter coats, hats, scarves, and gloves
- Toys for children
- Food for families
- Support for 10 adopted families and 250 children
🌐 Website: https://www.changeourfuture.org
📱 Instagram: @changeourfuture
📘 Facebook: Change Our Future
A New Approach to Weight Management & Lifestyle Medicine at Jefferson Health
As obesity rates and chronic disease continue to rise, Jefferson Health is taking a more accessible approach to prevention by bringing evidence-based weight management and lifestyle medicine directly into primary care. Backed by a $2.4 million award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Jefferson is launching a year-long, virtual lifestyle medicine program focused on helping participants build sustainable, real-world habits for better health. Joining us is Dr. Anna Flattau, Chief of Primary Care at Jefferson Health, who explains how the program works, who is eligible, and how the model—centered on nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and social connection—can help improve outcomes for patients across the region.
Jefferson Health – Learn More
🌐 Website: www.jeffersonhealth.org
Jefferson Health Lifestyle Medicine
📞 Phone: 1-800-JEFFERSON (1-800-533-3746)
📱 Instagram: @jeffersonhealth
📘 Facebook | X | LinkedIn: Jefferson Health
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Welcome to What's going on? A show about
making a difference in our lives and our communities. I'm
Lorraine Ballad Morrow. We are a nation obsessed with dieting,
yet obesity has reached epidemic levels. Jefferson Health is taking
a new, more accessible approach to prevention, bringing evidence based
weight management and lifestyle medicine directly into primary care. But
(00:22):
first we're checking in with a Super Bowl winning former
Eagle who's doing something truly special for the community. Former
Philadelphia Eagle Rodney MacLeod and his wife Erica, are continuing
their commitment to giving back through their nonprofit Change Our Future.
This holiday season, they're expanding their impact in a big way,
adopting ten families and providing two hundred and fifty Philadelphia
(00:44):
children with winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, toys, and food
to take home. We're excited to talk with Rodney about
the mission behind Change Our Future and the upcoming holiday
giveaway on December twenty second at Furness High School. Rodney,
great to see you and all the great things that
you're doing. I wonder if you can kind of tell
(01:04):
us a little bit of the backstory about why you
and Erica, your wife, decided to come up with this nonprofit,
Change Our Future. Most of us know you from the Eagles,
but we also are more and more in knowing you
about the great commitment that you've made to our community.
(01:24):
So tell us a little bit about the origin story
of Change our Future.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah, happy holidays to you, But I honestly change our future.
You know. It was really birth because of the passion
for kids that Eric and I both possess and wanting
to you know, create a pathway of opportunity, of access
(01:48):
of resources for you know, a lot of kids that
look like Erica and I and recognizing a lot of
the challenges that many of those individuals face, particularly when
it comes to the access of education. You know, a
lot is determined by your zip code, and so you know,
wanted to kind of breed be a bridge, you know,
(02:11):
for a lot of these kids, to to give them exposure,
to give them different experiences that would help propel them
throughout their life and introduce them to you know, many
of possibilities that live outside their doorstep that they you know,
may have never thought of or even imagine. And it's
been a blessing just to stand alongside a ton of youth,
(02:33):
recognizing that they are our future. If we want to
really you know, seek change, it is through the minds
and shoulders of of of our next generation. And that's
been our mission. And so it's been, uh, it's been
incredible just to see you know, as many kids if
we we've impacted and looking to continue to impact a
(02:55):
lot more going forward. Well.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
The holiday giveaways a major expansions, supporting ten full families
and two hundred and fifty kids with winter essentials, toys,
and food. Why was it important to scale up the
impact this year?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
It was important for us to scale up because of
just the times that we're facing right now. You know it,
Christmas is the favorite holiday for Erica. She goes above
and beyond in our own household, and so, you know,
we wanted to really bring a holiday cheer to the community.
(03:31):
And you know, we've been hosting this initiative for the
past five years going on year six now, and it's
just very moving when you hear the stories of a
ton of families what they're going through and facing, and
we want to you know, be a symbol of hope,
of possibility, and that's what this event activates. You know,
(03:55):
when we bring out all of these families and we
make you know, their dreams come true just for this
moment is incredible and it really just puts you know,
life in perspective, you know, for not only us, but
a ton of people who come out and volunteer. And
so not only are we going to help you know,
(04:16):
ten special families that are experiencing a wide variety of
different crisis right now, but we're going to support two
hundred and fifty kids in the community by providing them
with the opportunity to you know, get a toy, a coat,
a meal. And again, the holidays are just so you know,
(04:39):
stressful as is, and so for us to kind of
lighten that load, take the burden off, just for a
day a couple of minutes is a rewarding feeling, and
I know a ton of it blesses a ton of
people because of it.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Well, we're going to get into the specifics about the
event and how people can participate pay, but let's let's
catch people up to where you've been these days, because
we were just chatting before we started this interview, and
it looks like you're moving into that broad sports broadcast space.
Tell us all the things you're doing. It's very interesting.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah. So the past few months I've been on the
journey of of being a actual broadcaster color commentary, uh
calling college games for ACC Network under the Goddess of ESPN,
and it's been it's been a great year as far
(05:37):
you know, I've learned a lot. I've grown in a
ton of spaces, and you know, you leave a space
of mastery and kind of go into now a position
of of inexperience and you have to kind of reinvent
yourself and relearn what that feels like again. But it's
been rewarding for me. I've really just embrace every moment
(06:01):
of it, and it's incredible just shine and light on
this next generation of talent of college athletes, giving my
perspective and teaching the game, you know, in the best
way that I know how for a lot of viewers
out there.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Well, of course, since you are a former Eagle and
you are a sports commentator, I have to ask you
about the current Eagles team. And I know maybe there's
certain things you can't say, but the Eagles it's a
roller coaster ride. Oh my god, I think you know,
they break our hearts and then they make our hearts
(06:36):
explode with joy. What's going on? It's been such an
up and down season for the Eagles this year.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Yeah, I feel like for the Eagles, you know, they're
facing you know, super Bowl hangover. I guess you would
call it. But I think the main thing, you know,
is injuries that have played this team this year, particularly
on the office alone side. I think that's really hindered
their ability to run the football effectively, you know, keep
(07:08):
kind of a Jalen protected and not under duress like.
I think all those things have contributed to some of
the struggles offensively both. I think on the encouraging side
has been the defense. I mean, you know, I'm a
defensive guy. That's what I made my living. And when
you have a defense plan at the at the level
(07:29):
that they are, you still are capable of making all
of your dreams happen, you know, which for them is
another super Bowl. So you know, I believe it's they
have to kind of reshape, you know, their identity a
little bit. And and maybe you know, all of us
were thinking that the offense is going to lead this team,
but it's actually a defense driving it, and so that's
(07:50):
not there's nothing bad about that. I think they just
have to they have to really commit to it and
figure out ways for them offensively to not lose the
game kind of you know, come in with a different approach.
But I believe they'll be fine. They got some pigmy
up games coming up down a stretch you know, that
started last week to kind of get back in their groove.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah, they did crush last week. That was pretty pretty awesome.
And then my final question before we get into the
specifics of the giveaway is just what life is like
after playing football. That's such an intense career to have.
The highs are incredible, the lows can be devastating, and
(08:31):
then the impact on your body is so extreme. I
think you are fortunate and you kind of got out
while your body was still more or less intact, right,
So tell us a little bit about what it's like
to be, you know, past the professional football career that
you've had. I mean, you've certainly expanded into the community
space and now into the broadcasting space. But tell us
(08:54):
what that transition is like and also maybe how hard
it is for some other players to move from playing
to not playing.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Yeah, life after football is different. It does come with
a challenge, and the challenges you know you now have.
You don't have your days mapped out for you. You know,
you now have to be your own CEO, your own
general manager, coordinator, you know, all those positions that we're
accustomed to and driving us on a regular occasion on
(09:26):
when we should show up or how we should show up.
You know, you're now tasked with that. And I think,
you know, God's biggest struggle is the idle time is
how do I utilize the time, the free time that
I have and figuring out what their next passion or
interest is like, how they want to show up in
the world and still feel a sense of purpose and
(09:50):
drive and you know all those feelings that come about
when you play ball. You know, a lot of us
have been doing this since we were kids, you know,
from me six years old, so football has been a
part of my life for as long as I can remember.
And you know, there are a lot of guys that
(10:10):
choose to wipe out football from their lives. There are
some of us, you know, like myself, that still need
to be around the game in some capacity, and then
there are a ton of others that are kind of
you know, in limbo and which direction. So I think
the like the toughest part is the scheduling and finding
(10:32):
your purpose and the quicker you know, guys can really
adapt to the new norm. It really is beneficial for them.
I know for me, I've always taken that that off
season to you know, kind of switch gears and put
on a different hat so that you know, I didn't
let toime just pass me by. I still was productive.
(10:53):
I still felt like I was working towards something, and
a lot of that was a nonprofit uh, you know,
change our future. You know, it keeps me up just
as just as much as as vaulted because it is
so intense and in my role and you know, trying
to you know, leave your mark on this world in
a positive manner, on the way that we're doing. And
(11:14):
so outside of that, it was you know, doing things
like this, getting reps in the broadcast field. The transition
has been easier, but I'm not saying that my transition
is done because I'm still trying to discover what I
actually want to do, how I want to show up
in the world. So I'm still evolving myself. I'm still
(11:34):
in it. I'm fresh, but just embracing every day. And
then on the other side, it allows you to spend
a lot of time with family, so, you know, a
lot of the lost time that I didn't get, I
actually can I have a holiday that I can spend
time with my wife and my daughter, visit family. You know,
we're actually going to Maryland this weekend and then New
(11:54):
York for Christmas. So those moments right there really are
fulfilling and fill my cup because I've been yearning for
that for a very long time and it was one
of the reasons why I did choose to walk away.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Yeah. Well, you've done a great job at designing your
post football career and certainly part of that is Change
our Future and this event that's happening, this holiday giveaway
on December twenty second at Furnace High School. Give us
some of the details and who can participate. Can anyone
come and take advantage of this? Do they need to
(12:29):
direct tell us all the details?
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, so we're very excited. You know, this is the
sixth anual Philo card is looking completely different. You know,
you're now walking into Change our Futures Christmas Shop Winter
Wonderland Field and we'll be hosting it at Furness High
School four thirty to six thirty. We'll be supplying colts, toys, hats,
and also food. You know, we're aiming to serve two
(12:54):
hundred and fifty kids. It is first come, first serve.
You're entered through the cafeteria, you'll get a to give
voucher for each item you'll walk through, be able to
collect those items, and man, we'll have a great time.
You know. iHeart to be there. Roxy be there on
great music, some good holiday cheering spirit, just to get
everybody in that mood for Christmas and just a celebration
(13:19):
of just life, just thankfulness and community. Because we'll have
a ton of volunteers there that are helping support and
we can't do it without the shoulders and arms of
those that support us.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
So Rodney, I know that you can't do this alone.
You and Erica have a lot of great supporters. Who
are they.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Yes, so some of our supporters that have graciously linked
arms with us. It takes a village. They address a
lot of food and securities here in the Philadelphia community.
They'll be providing food for families, which is incredible, and
then we've also partnered with Toys for Tots that will
be giving us a number of just amazing toys for
(13:59):
our our children for them to come out and pick
up an item a toward their choice. So we're extremely
grateful for the community support and what they're doing to
make a difference in the kids' life.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Fantastic. So if people want more information about not only
this particular event which is happening on the twenty second
at Furness High School starting at four thirty, is that right?
Four thirty?
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Thirty, yeah, four thirty to six thirty. Man, first come,
first served, So get there early minute, get there, Get
there early as you can bundle up. You know, there
could be a line. We used to the code, so
I think it'll be maybe a little warmer day than
what we've experienced the past couple of days. So just
come out. We're looking forward to seeing everybody having a
(14:48):
great time and you know, just providing some holidays year.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Fantastic And what's your website for more information?
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Website is Changeourfuture dot org and then instagram is Change
our Future Fun. You'll fund all the details about the
event coming up on December twenty second, and all the
other great programs and activities we have coming up.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Wonderful former Philadelphia Eagle Rodney McLeod who, along with his
wife Erica, are continuing their commitment to giving back through
their nonprofit Change Our Future, and this holiday season they
are doing a major holiday giveaway on December twenty second
at Furness High School. Rodney, thank you for all that
you do, you and Erica, and the best of luck
(15:30):
in your new direction on the media. And hopefully one
day we'll see you on Monday Night football. You never know, right,
I look forward to it.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
That is great, Thank you so much. As obesity rates
and chronic disease continue to rise, Jefferson Health is taking
a new, more accessible approach to prevention, bringing evidence based
weight management and lifestyle medicine directly into primary care. Back
(16:04):
by a two point four million dollar award from the
Patient Center Outcomes Research Institute, Jefferson is launching a year
long virtual lifestyle medicine program designed to help people build
real world habits for better health. Joining us to talk
about how it works and who can benefit. As doctor
Anna Flatau, who is Chief of Primary Care at Jefferson Health.
(16:25):
Doctor Flatau what prompted Jefferson Health to invest in lifestyle
medicine in a model like this rather than the usual
traditional weight management approach.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Thank you so much. So, you know, lifestyle is critically
important for so many areas of human health and longevity.
It's important certainly for weight management, but more broadly, it's
important for your cardiac health, is important for your kidney health.
It's important for a lot of behavioral health or mental
health conditions as well. Even cancer prevention, prevention of cognitive
(16:58):
decline one of the most powerful things that we have
and that we can do for ourselves to be healthy
and live better or longer. And this is something that
is in evidence based clinical guidelines across a broad variety
of health conditions. The challenge that health systems have always
had across the country is there haven't been great models
(17:18):
of how to implement it and provide the amount of
time and attention and just positive experience that human beings
need to be able to make those changes, which, even
when you have information, are often really hard to make
and to sustain for yourself. So in my own clinical practice,
I've been seeing patients for you know, maybe twenty years now,
(17:39):
and I've always wanted to have a way to support
my patients in these evidence based first line ways of
improving their health through diet, exercise, better sleep, stress management,
social connection. But there's just no way of doing it.
And we sort of had a magical opportunity when we
received a funding contract Bacoory, which you alluded to before,
(18:02):
to really invest in setting up the right type of program,
a program that does what evidence based medicine tells us,
which is help people to make these changes that really
really matter. And now with the attention we've been able
to pay to setting up that program for all of
our clinicians and physicians across Jefferson Health will be able
(18:23):
to refer patients for a year long support program that
really works with people to teach them and help them
to consider how to make these behavior changes in real
life for themselves and for their families. So I think
this is one of the most impactful, meaningful things I've
had the privilege of participating in in my career. I'm
really really excited about it, and excited about both having
(18:46):
our physicians send us patients, but also having our patients
send themselves and sign up and join.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
The program is grounded in lifestyle medicine's five pillars nutrition,
physical activity, sleep, and a lot of people don't realize
sleep can have a big impact, stress management, and social connection.
Why is it dressing all five so important to long
term health.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
So each of those alone is connected to health and
well being. And it's funny sometimes in medicine things circle
back to common sense. People know this, right. They know
that when they cannot get RESTful sleep, they're stressed, they
know that their blood pressure is going to go up,
they know they're going to maybe be more prone to
anxiety and depression. We all know this because we know
(19:30):
our own bodies, and it really does match the evidence space.
And when you think holistically about lifestyle, all of these
things are connected. And you know, when I think about
it for myself, right when I feel rejuvenated or well,
it's often because I have attended to all of those
things right in my life and in my balance. So
it's just a meeting of that common sense with data
(19:53):
right that shows that people's health will improve through those interventions.
We've always talked about this. Right in the course of
a medical visit, if someone has high blood pressure, we
might quickly talk about the Mediterranean diet and about exercise
and about sleep, but just not with the depth and
the attention and the engagement that people need to make
(20:13):
behavior changes.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Let's talk about how this actually works. The program involves
small group visits of eight to ten people over the
course of a whole year. How does that group based
approach support accountability and lasting behavior change.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Well, those groups themselves will be a form of social connection, right,
So in that sense, we're offering that within the group.
These will be all video based visits, so folks won't
have to leave their homes, which is a popular option
and makes it accessible across our entire regional health system.
We have about one hundred and fifty primary care practices,
seven hundred ambilatory sites, including in Greater Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley,
(20:50):
and we're opening this It's open to everybody across all
of those different communities. One interesting thing we're going to
see is people from very, very variable and diverse communities
all coming together in these mixed groups of eight to
ten people. And I think that will be fun and
enjoyable in terms of exchanging backgrounds, right, and life experiences
and resources and strengths. The program, as you mentioned, will
(21:13):
be over the course of a year. It's going to
be co led in each group by a registered dietitian
and a nurse practitioner, and there'll be weekly visits for
the first three months and then it will move to monthly,
and we also have some one on one meetings with
the nurse practitioner built in to tailor because we realize
that people will have different dietary restrictions or preferences. Not
(21:33):
everyone has the same physical ability to get exercise, so
we're going to need to tailor and adjust. It's going
to be a way of both bringing people together to
support each other and also account for the variability in
what people offer to themselves into each other and in
also limitations that people may have but be able to
work around for the purposes of the program.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Ash you mentioned if participants will have access to nutrition
and physical activity experts as well as five one on
one visits with a primary care physician, how does integrating
this into primary care improve outcomes?
Speaker 3 (22:06):
So in our primary care system, we have both the
personal physician or personal advanced care clinician for the patient, right,
And the point of primary care is a relationship. Right,
So my patients have a relationship with me, I care
for them over time. That's true for all of our
primary care providers. That's actually the power of primary care
that we do relationship based care over time in a
(22:27):
very holistic and comprehensive way where we know our patients
and all of our patients issues are things that we
help them to address.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Right.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
It's a comprehensive service, but we need a team in
order to do that. One physician in the visit alone
isn't going to provide the best quality primary care because
we don't have the capacity to do that as a
loan individual. We don't work on an island. So there
are a number of examples of how we have extended
care team members. For example, we have behavioral health consultants
(22:56):
who are therapists who we can refer patients to as
part of our extended team when they may suffer from grief, anxiety, depression,
and so on. These lifestyle programs are really an extension
of our practice. So even our physicians, who themselves are
board certified and lifestyle medicine, are extremely excited about referring
to this program because the way our workday is structured
(23:18):
as physicians doesn't allow us to meet with patients weekly
for three months and follow them for a year, then
do the cooking demonstrations and of a kind of wrap
around teaching and engagement that this program will provide. So
it's really about having a big team to help people
in all their complexity of who they are as human
beings and all the complexity of changing everyday habits that
(23:40):
impact health.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Accessibility is absolutely key and is a key focus for
this program. With virtual visits, cooking demos, grocery store tours,
mindfulness workshops. How does this design help reach people who
might otherwise face barriers to care.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Yeah, so, you know, we really have designed this. The
team is a great job in designing this with regular
people in mind. And you know we're busy, right we all,
you know, many of most people have jobs and kids
and families or social obligations or church obligations, and they
have their own lives. It's also hard to get out sometimes, right,
either because you're busy or because a lot of our
(24:18):
patients have trouble with transportation. Maybe live in a more
far flunged area. And remember those practice sites. They range
from you know, affluent suburbs to rural areas to maybe
some inner city areas where violence is actually in the
you know, in the community. As it makes it makes
it harder for patients to get out of our homes.
It's the whole spectrum of society that's invited into our
(24:39):
doors through this virtual program, and that makes it accessible
whether you're stepping out of your job for an hour
or whether you're doing this in the evening after your
kids are in bed. In addition to the virtual environment,
with some optional in person opportunities for people who are interested,
we're also really doing this throughout the day. So there
will be morning groups, they'll be you know, afternoon groups,
(24:59):
they'll evening groups. And because the program is so big
and we're expecting to enroll well over five thousand people
in the first few years, it gives us the opportunity
to provide a plethora of options and allow people to
sign up for whatever works for them. It's hard enough
to take care of your health. It's hard enough to
make lifestyle changes, and so we need to really work
(25:20):
around people's schedules and what they're able to do. And
we've had a lot of conversations, for example, about night
shift workers. Right, we're a health system. We have a
lot of night shift workers in our health system, and
that's very common you know for others as well. Right
or busy working moms, people who need to cook for
their children as well as themselves when they think about
making changes, and the team's done a really good job
(25:42):
at creating variety of options for that, and that's also
why we have these core groups. And then they're electives
as you mentioned, that have been developed for folks who
have particular interests or needs, maybe a special interest in
being like a vegetarian option of that healthy diet right,
or we have a special option that we're going to
do to help people with frugal shopping. For those who
(26:04):
may have budget limitations or food insecurity, or just not
want to spend a lot of money on their food.
They'll be like a special interest group for those as well,
to just address what effort is that people need and
design around human beings and not try and make them
fit into the health system, which is historically not always
an easy thing to do.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Yeah. I love that that it's very specific to the
needs of the individual, whether it's reflected of their backgrounds
or their neighborhoods, or their specific needs, so you really
do customize it depending on where these folks are coming
into the program, who's eligible to participate, and what types
of health goals or conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure,
(26:43):
or high cholesterol does this program aimed to address.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
So when we start this program, we talked a lot
about exclusion criteria, right, who should we not accept And
the answer is like, this is a universal human need.
So the program is aimed at adult patients, so eighteen
and op although we recognize that many of those adults
are caring for children and there'll be a positive impact
on the household, but it's really for anybody. And we
did talk a lot about should we, you know, exclude
(27:09):
this group or that group, But there's really no human
beings who don't benefit from a healthy lifestyle. And rather
than exclude people, we decided to adapt to the different
needs of those patient populations and we just are opening
the doors to everyone. So there's really no exclusion criteria,
you know, and we want to work with folks whoever
they may be. We will have people who have diabetes,
(27:31):
we will have people who are completely healthy, we might
have people on dialysis, we might have you know, all
sorts of folks, older people, younger people. But you know,
eating healthy, thinking about how to exercise, you know, based
on what your body does and what your capabilities are sleeping,
while these are just about being human. And there will
be different needs in each of those groups, but I
actually think that's partly what might make them interesting and
(27:54):
engaging as folks together succeed as a little team, you know,
and helping each other to move forward in these areas.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
There's so much confusion out there, so much variety, so
many differing opinions on what works in terms of healthy
lifestyle and diet. We're constantly bombarded by the latest thing,
you know, whether it's keto or it's paleo, or whether
it's ozembic. And I wonder if you could maybe put
a little perspective on what our situation is. We are
(28:20):
an obese nation, and as a result of that, we
are experiencing record levels of heart disease and high blood
pressure and diabetes and all those things. And I wonder
if you can maybe make the distinction about how this
program is really kind of different from some of the
more fatish strategies and methods that are out there. It
(28:41):
sounds like you're really trying to incorporate a true change
in one's personal approach to food and lifestyle, and it
sounds very holistic. It's not like a one stop shop
or a shot that you take. It's really about rethinking
how you do your life.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Yeah, that's exactly it.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
You know, we're in it for the long game, right,
and I think to use people's time, well, we want
them to also be in it for the long game
to think about what that means. You know, fads, you
go on the diet, you go off the diet, you
go back to the way you were, right. So there
are a couple of things there. One one is really
thinking about just plain simple health, right, and also realizing
that people don't have to be.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Perfect, right.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
You know, yeah, a plant based diet is healthy, but
not everyone's going to have an entirely plant based diet
and like that's fine, right, And folks may occasionally have,
you know, foods that aren't you know, technically their healthiest foods,
and that's fine too. We're really looking for incremental changes
because it's not the events or the month you're on
a fad diet that really make a difference over the
(29:42):
course of your life. It's the little habits that you
do day in and day out that have the largest impact.
Another thing that I think was a good strategic move
that we did early on is you know, we did
start out talking about this as a weight program, and
we actually discarded that as our as our branding, and
we also have opened this to people of any body
(30:03):
shape or size. So when we first started discussing this,
you know, we were thinking this would be for people
who's BMI is greater than thirty, who you know, have
you know, obesity by that clinical definition, And then we
just decided, you know what, that just doesn't make a
lot of sense, and it doesn't make a lot of
sense for.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
A couple of reasons.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
One is even for people who are larger, Like it's
not only about weight, and when you you know, you
start hammering the people at their weight, like right in
the beginning, Like, it's just it's not the right way
of doing it. It doesn't make sense, and it's it's not
accurate because even if you never lose a pound, just
exercising more is so great for your health, and sleeping
better is so great for your health, and choosing healthier
foods is so great for your health. So, yeah, a
(30:42):
lot of people want to lose weight, and probably you know,
there are a lot of people whose health would be
better if they lost weight, but that's not the only point.
It's one of several things that are important, and I
think people appreciate that approach and it is I think
the correct and evidence based approach we do.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
But by the way, also have.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
The doors open whether people are on GOPI one agonists
or not, like it doesn't matter. Everyone is welcome because again,
these healthy habits are important for everyone, what regardless of
what other medication options you might choose to pursue.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
The other thing that.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Happened early on as we were sitting around in our
clinical strategy group, and we ourselves are of all shapes
and sizes, and you know, when we start out thinking
this was going to be for larger people, the thinner
people amongst us were like, wait a second, we want
to join too. And the truth is that there are
lots of people who are not who don't have elevated
body mess index, who are not obese, who have diabetes
(31:33):
or pre diabetes, or a strong family history of heart disease,
or they're cholesterols high, or they just want to be
healthy and live long, and they're going to get benefit
from this program. So it didn't really make sense when
we thought about it to worry about that or exclude
people or target the people who just happen to be larger.
This is really something that's important for everyone. I think
(31:54):
that makes sense medically, but it also feels better right.
It just feels like the right approach to be helpful
and holistic and kind of addressing what's important and acknowledging
that we are all complex human beings and probably all
of us could use a little bit of a healthier
approach to life.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Well, it sounds amazing and it sounds like an opportunity
that folks can take advantage of at Jefferson University Health,
doctor Flatau, If people are interested in signing up for
the program, what's the website and what's the number to call.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
So if you look at the Jefferson Health website, which
is www dot Jeffersonhealth dot org, you'll see a Lifestyle
Medicine page in that website, and you can actually sign
yourself up for the Lifestyle program by entering your information,
and our staff will call and get back to you
about scheduling and talk to you more detail about starting.
And then you can also just call our access center
(32:43):
a Jefferson Health. It's one eight hundred jeff Now Jeffnow
and ask for the lifestyle program and that those representatives
will also be able to connect you.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
This sounds like an amazing program that is available to
folks out there. Check it out, Healthy Lifestyle. It's not
just about losing weight. It's really about reinventing your own lifestyle,
whether it's diet, whether it's sleep, whether it's stress reduction.
It's a new, more accessible approach to prevention, bringing evidence
(33:14):
based weight management and lifestyle medicine directly into primary care.
It is over at Jefferson University Hospital. Doctor Anna Flatau,
Chief of Primary Care at Jefferson Health, thank you so
much for joining us here today.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
You can listen to all of today's interviews by going
to our station website and typing in keyword Community. You
can also listen on the iHeartRadio app Keywords Philadelphia Community Podcast.
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Lorraine Ballard. I'm
Lorraine Ballard Morral and I stand for service to our
community and media that empowers. What will you stand for?
(33:50):
You've been listening to what's going on, and thank you
Good morning, Welcome to What's going on? A show about
making a difference in our lives and our communities. I'm
Lorraine Ballad Morrow. We are a nation obsessed with dieting,
yet obesity has reached epidemic levels. Jefferson Health is taking
a new, more accessible approach to prevention, bringing evidence based
weight management and lifestyle medicine directly into primary care. But
(00:22):
first we're checking in with a Super Bowl winning former
Eagle who's doing something truly special for the community. Former
Philadelphia Eagle Rodney MacLeod and his wife Erica, are continuing
their commitment to giving back through their nonprofit Change Our Future.
This holiday season, they're expanding their impact in a big way,
adopting ten families and providing two hundred and fifty Philadelphia
(00:44):
children with winter coats, hats, gloves, scarves, toys, and food
to take home. We're excited to talk with Rodney about
the mission behind Change Our Future and the upcoming holiday
giveaway on December twenty second at Furness High School. Rodney,
great to see you and all the great things that
you're doing. I wonder if you can kind of tell
(01:04):
us a little bit of the backstory about why you
and Erica, your wife, decided to come up with this nonprofit,
Change Our Future. Most of us know you from the Eagles,
but we also are more and more in knowing you
about the great commitment that you've made to our community.
(01:24):
So tell us a little bit about the origin story
of Change our Future.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah, happy holidays to you, But I honestly change our future.
You know. It was really birth because of the passion
for kids that Eric and I both possess and wanting
to you know, create a pathway of opportunity, of access
(01:48):
of resources for you know, a lot of kids that
look like Erica and I and recognizing a lot of
the challenges that many of those individuals face, particularly when
it comes to the access of education. You know, a
lot is determined by your zip code, and so you know,
wanted to kind of breed be a bridge, you know,
(02:11):
for a lot of these kids, to to give them exposure,
to give them different experiences that would help propel them
throughout their life and introduce them to you know, many
of possibilities that live outside their doorstep that they you know,
may have never thought of or even imagine. And it's
been a blessing just to stand alongside a ton of youth,
(02:33):
recognizing that they are our future. If we want to
really you know, seek change, it is through the minds
and shoulders of of of our next generation. And that's
been our mission. And so it's been, uh, it's been
incredible just to see you know, as many kids if
we we've impacted and looking to continue to impact a
(02:55):
lot more going forward. Well.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
The holiday giveaways a major expansions, supporting ten full families
and two hundred and fifty kids with winter essentials, toys,
and food. Why was it important to scale up the
impact this year?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
It was important for us to scale up because of
just the times that we're facing right now. You know it,
Christmas is the favorite holiday for Erica. She goes above
and beyond in our own household, and so, you know,
we wanted to really bring a holiday cheer to the community.
(03:31):
And you know, we've been hosting this initiative for the
past five years going on year six now, and it's
just very moving when you hear the stories of a
ton of families what they're going through and facing, and
we want to you know, be a symbol of hope,
of possibility, and that's what this event activates. You know,
(03:55):
when we bring out all of these families and we
make you know, their dreams come true just for this
moment is incredible and it really just puts you know,
life in perspective, you know, for not only us, but
a ton of people who come out and volunteer. And
so not only are we going to help you know,
(04:16):
ten special families that are experiencing a wide variety of
different crisis right now, but we're going to support two
hundred and fifty kids in the community by providing them
with the opportunity to you know, get a toy, a coat,
a meal. And again, the holidays are just so you know,
(04:39):
stressful as is, and so for us to kind of
lighten that load, take the burden off, just for a
day a couple of minutes is a rewarding feeling, and
I know a ton of it blesses a ton of
people because of it.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Well, we're going to get into the specifics about the
event and how people can participate pay, but let's let's
catch people up to where you've been these days, because
we were just chatting before we started this interview, and
it looks like you're moving into that broad sports broadcast space.
Tell us all the things you're doing. It's very interesting.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah. So the past few months I've been on the
journey of of being a actual broadcaster color commentary, uh
calling college games for ACC Network under the Goddess of ESPN,
and it's been it's been a great year as far
(05:37):
you know, I've learned a lot. I've grown in a
ton of spaces, and you know, you leave a space
of mastery and kind of go into now a position
of of inexperience and you have to kind of reinvent
yourself and relearn what that feels like again. But it's
been rewarding for me. I've really just embrace every moment
(06:01):
of it, and it's incredible just shine and light on
this next generation of talent of college athletes, giving my
perspective and teaching the game, you know, in the best
way that I know how for a lot of viewers
out there.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Well, of course, since you are a former Eagle and
you are a sports commentator, I have to ask you
about the current Eagles team. And I know maybe there's
certain things you can't say, but the Eagles it's a
roller coaster ride. Oh my god, I think you know,
they break our hearts and then they make our hearts
(06:36):
explode with joy. What's going on? It's been such an
up and down season for the Eagles this year.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Yeah, I feel like for the Eagles, you know, they're
facing you know, super Bowl hangover. I guess you would
call it. But I think the main thing, you know,
is injuries that have played this team this year, particularly
on the office alone side. I think that's really hindered
their ability to run the football effectively, you know, keep
(07:08):
kind of a Jalen protected and not under duress like.
I think all those things have contributed to some of
the struggles offensively both. I think on the encouraging side
has been the defense. I mean, you know, I'm a
defensive guy. That's what I made my living. And when
you have a defense plan at the at the level
(07:29):
that they are, you still are capable of making all
of your dreams happen, you know, which for them is
another super Bowl. So you know, I believe it's they
have to kind of reshape, you know, their identity a
little bit. And and maybe you know, all of us
were thinking that the offense is going to lead this team,
but it's actually a defense driving it, and so that's
(07:50):
not there's nothing bad about that. I think they just
have to they have to really commit to it and
figure out ways for them offensively to not lose the
game kind of you know, come in with a different approach.
But I believe they'll be fine. They got some pigmy
up games coming up down a stretch you know, that
started last week to kind of get back in their groove.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah, they did crush last week. That was pretty pretty awesome.
And then my final question before we get into the
specifics of the giveaway is just what life is like
after playing football. That's such an intense career to have.
The highs are incredible, the lows can be devastating, and
(08:31):
then the impact on your body is so extreme. I
think you are fortunate and you kind of got out
while your body was still more or less intact, right,
So tell us a little bit about what it's like
to be, you know, past the professional football career that
you've had. I mean, you've certainly expanded into the community
space and now into the broadcasting space. But tell us
(08:54):
what that transition is like and also maybe how hard
it is for some other players to move from playing
to not playing.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Yeah, life after football is different. It does come with
a challenge, and the challenges you know you now have.
You don't have your days mapped out for you. You know,
you now have to be your own CEO, your own
general manager, coordinator, you know, all those positions that we're
accustomed to and driving us on a regular occasion on
(09:26):
when we should show up or how we should show up.
You know, you're now tasked with that. And I think,
you know, God's biggest struggle is the idle time is
how do I utilize the time, the free time that
I have and figuring out what their next passion or
interest is like, how they want to show up in
the world and still feel a sense of purpose and
(09:50):
drive and you know all those feelings that come about
when you play ball. You know, a lot of us
have been doing this since we were kids, you know,
from me six years old, so football has been a
part of my life for as long as I can remember.
And you know, there are a lot of guys that
(10:10):
choose to wipe out football from their lives. There are
some of us, you know, like myself, that still need
to be around the game in some capacity, and then
there are a ton of others that are kind of
you know, in limbo and which direction. So I think
the like the toughest part is the scheduling and finding
(10:32):
your purpose and the quicker you know, guys can really
adapt to the new norm. It really is beneficial for them.
I know for me, I've always taken that that off
season to you know, kind of switch gears and put
on a different hat so that you know, I didn't
let toime just pass me by. I still was productive.
(10:53):
I still felt like I was working towards something, and
a lot of that was a nonprofit uh, you know,
change our future. You know, it keeps me up just
as just as much as as vaulted because it is
so intense and in my role and you know, trying
to you know, leave your mark on this world in
a positive manner, on the way that we're doing. And
(11:14):
so outside of that, it was you know, doing things
like this, getting reps in the broadcast field. The transition
has been easier, but I'm not saying that my transition
is done because I'm still trying to discover what I
actually want to do, how I want to show up
in the world. So I'm still evolving myself. I'm still
(11:34):
in it. I'm fresh, but just embracing every day. And
then on the other side, it allows you to spend
a lot of time with family, so, you know, a
lot of the lost time that I didn't get, I
actually can I have a holiday that I can spend
time with my wife and my daughter, visit family. You know,
we're actually going to Maryland this weekend and then New
(11:54):
York for Christmas. So those moments right there really are
fulfilling and fill my cup because I've been yearning for
that for a very long time and it was one
of the reasons why I did choose to walk away.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Yeah. Well, you've done a great job at designing your
post football career and certainly part of that is Change
our Future and this event that's happening, this holiday giveaway
on December twenty second at Furnace High School. Give us
some of the details and who can participate. Can anyone
come and take advantage of this? Do they need to
(12:29):
direct tell us all the details?
Speaker 2 (12:30):
Yeah, so we're very excited. You know, this is the
sixth anual Philo card is looking completely different. You know,
you're now walking into Change our Futures Christmas Shop Winter
Wonderland Field and we'll be hosting it at Furness High
School four thirty to six thirty. We'll be supplying colts, toys, hats,
and also food. You know, we're aiming to serve two
(12:54):
hundred and fifty kids. It is first come, first serve.
You're entered through the cafeteria, you'll get a to give
voucher for each item you'll walk through, be able to
collect those items, and man, we'll have a great time.
You know. iHeart to be there. Roxy be there on
great music, some good holiday cheering spirit, just to get
everybody in that mood for Christmas and just a celebration
(13:19):
of just life, just thankfulness and community. Because we'll have
a ton of volunteers there that are helping support and
we can't do it without the shoulders and arms of
those that support us.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
So Rodney, I know that you can't do this alone.
You and Erica have a lot of great supporters. Who
are they.
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Yes, so some of our supporters that have graciously linked
arms with us. It takes a village. They address a
lot of food and securities here in the Philadelphia community.
They'll be providing food for families, which is incredible, and
then we've also partnered with Toys for Tots that will
be giving us a number of just amazing toys for
(13:59):
our our children for them to come out and pick
up an item a toward their choice. So we're extremely
grateful for the community support and what they're doing to
make a difference in the kids' life.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Fantastic. So if people want more information about not only
this particular event which is happening on the twenty second
at Furness High School starting at four thirty, is that right?
Four thirty?
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Thirty, yeah, four thirty to six thirty. Man, first come,
first served, So get there early minute, get there, Get
there early as you can bundle up. You know, there
could be a line. We used to the code, so
I think it'll be maybe a little warmer day than
what we've experienced the past couple of days. So just
come out. We're looking forward to seeing everybody having a
(14:48):
great time and you know, just providing some holidays year.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Fantastic And what's your website for more information?
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Website is Changeourfuture dot org and then instagram is Change
our Future Fun. You'll fund all the details about the
event coming up on December twenty second, and all the
other great programs and activities we have coming up.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Wonderful former Philadelphia Eagle Rodney McLeod who, along with his
wife Erica, are continuing their commitment to giving back through
their nonprofit Change Our Future, and this holiday season they
are doing a major holiday giveaway on December twenty second
at Furness High School. Rodney, thank you for all that
you do, you and Erica, and the best of luck
(15:30):
in your new direction on the media. And hopefully one
day we'll see you on Monday Night football. You never know, right,
I look forward to it.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
That is great, Thank you so much. As obesity rates
and chronic disease continue to rise, Jefferson Health is taking
a new, more accessible approach to prevention, bringing evidence based
weight management and lifestyle medicine directly into primary care. Back
(16:04):
by a two point four million dollar award from the
Patient Center Outcomes Research Institute, Jefferson is launching a year
long virtual lifestyle medicine program designed to help people build
real world habits for better health. Joining us to talk
about how it works and who can benefit. As doctor
Anna Flatau, who is Chief of Primary Care at Jefferson Health.
(16:25):
Doctor Flatau what prompted Jefferson Health to invest in lifestyle
medicine in a model like this rather than the usual
traditional weight management approach.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
Thank you so much. So, you know, lifestyle is critically
important for so many areas of human health and longevity.
It's important certainly for weight management, but more broadly, it's
important for your cardiac health, is important for your kidney health.
It's important for a lot of behavioral health or mental
health conditions as well. Even cancer prevention, prevention of cognitive
(16:58):
decline one of the most powerful things that we have
and that we can do for ourselves to be healthy
and live better or longer. And this is something that
is in evidence based clinical guidelines across a broad variety
of health conditions. The challenge that health systems have always
had across the country is there haven't been great models
(17:18):
of how to implement it and provide the amount of
time and attention and just positive experience that human beings
need to be able to make those changes, which, even
when you have information, are often really hard to make
and to sustain for yourself. So in my own clinical practice,
I've been seeing patients for you know, maybe twenty years now,
(17:39):
and I've always wanted to have a way to support
my patients in these evidence based first line ways of
improving their health through diet, exercise, better sleep, stress management,
social connection. But there's just no way of doing it.
And we sort of had a magical opportunity when we
received a funding contract Bacoory, which you alluded to before,
(18:02):
to really invest in setting up the right type of program,
a program that does what evidence based medicine tells us,
which is help people to make these changes that really
really matter. And now with the attention we've been able
to pay to setting up that program for all of
our clinicians and physicians across Jefferson Health will be able
(18:23):
to refer patients for a year long support program that
really works with people to teach them and help them
to consider how to make these behavior changes in real
life for themselves and for their families. So I think
this is one of the most impactful, meaningful things I've
had the privilege of participating in in my career. I'm
really really excited about it, and excited about both having
(18:46):
our physicians send us patients, but also having our patients
send themselves and sign up and join.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
The program is grounded in lifestyle medicine's five pillars nutrition,
physical activity, sleep, and a lot of people don't realize
sleep can have a big impact, stress management, and social connection.
Why is it dressing all five so important to long
term health.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
So each of those alone is connected to health and
well being. And it's funny sometimes in medicine things circle
back to common sense. People know this, right. They know
that when they cannot get RESTful sleep, they're stressed, they
know that their blood pressure is going to go up,
they know they're going to maybe be more prone to
anxiety and depression. We all know this because we know
(19:30):
our own bodies, and it really does match the evidence space.
And when you think holistically about lifestyle, all of these
things are connected. And you know, when I think about
it for myself, right when I feel rejuvenated or well,
it's often because I have attended to all of those
things right in my life and in my balance. So
it's just a meeting of that common sense with data
(19:53):
right that shows that people's health will improve through those interventions.
We've always talked about this. Right in the course of
a medical visit, if someone has high blood pressure, we
might quickly talk about the Mediterranean diet and about exercise
and about sleep, but just not with the depth and
the attention and the engagement that people need to make
(20:13):
behavior changes.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Let's talk about how this actually works. The program involves
small group visits of eight to ten people over the
course of a whole year. How does that group based
approach support accountability and lasting behavior change.
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Well, those groups themselves will be a form of social connection, right,
So in that sense, we're offering that within the group.
These will be all video based visits, so folks won't
have to leave their homes, which is a popular option
and makes it accessible across our entire regional health system.
We have about one hundred and fifty primary care practices,
seven hundred ambilatory sites, including in Greater Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley,
(20:50):
and we're opening this It's open to everybody across all
of those different communities. One interesting thing we're going to
see is people from very, very variable and diverse communities
all coming together in these mixed groups of eight to
ten people. And I think that will be fun and
enjoyable in terms of exchanging backgrounds, right, and life experiences
and resources and strengths. The program, as you mentioned, will
(21:13):
be over the course of a year. It's going to
be co led in each group by a registered dietitian
and a nurse practitioner, and there'll be weekly visits for
the first three months and then it will move to monthly,
and we also have some one on one meetings with
the nurse practitioner built in to tailor because we realize
that people will have different dietary restrictions or preferences. Not
(21:33):
everyone has the same physical ability to get exercise, so
we're going to need to tailor and adjust. It's going
to be a way of both bringing people together to
support each other and also account for the variability in
what people offer to themselves into each other and in
also limitations that people may have but be able to
work around for the purposes of the program.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Ash you mentioned if participants will have access to nutrition
and physical activity experts as well as five one on
one visits with a primary care physician, how does integrating
this into primary care improve outcomes?
Speaker 3 (22:06):
So in our primary care system, we have both the
personal physician or personal advanced care clinician for the patient, right,
And the point of primary care is a relationship. Right,
So my patients have a relationship with me, I care
for them over time. That's true for all of our
primary care providers. That's actually the power of primary care
that we do relationship based care over time in a
(22:27):
very holistic and comprehensive way where we know our patients
and all of our patients issues are things that we
help them to address.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Right.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
It's a comprehensive service, but we need a team in
order to do that. One physician in the visit alone
isn't going to provide the best quality primary care because
we don't have the capacity to do that as a
loan individual. We don't work on an island. So there
are a number of examples of how we have extended
care team members. For example, we have behavioral health consultants
(22:56):
who are therapists who we can refer patients to as
part of our extended team when they may suffer from grief, anxiety, depression,
and so on. These lifestyle programs are really an extension
of our practice. So even our physicians, who themselves are
board certified and lifestyle medicine, are extremely excited about referring
to this program because the way our workday is structured
(23:18):
as physicians doesn't allow us to meet with patients weekly
for three months and follow them for a year, then
do the cooking demonstrations and of a kind of wrap
around teaching and engagement that this program will provide. So
it's really about having a big team to help people
in all their complexity of who they are as human
beings and all the complexity of changing everyday habits that
(23:40):
impact health.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Accessibility is absolutely key and is a key focus for
this program. With virtual visits, cooking demos, grocery store tours,
mindfulness workshops. How does this design help reach people who
might otherwise face barriers to care.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Yeah, so, you know, we really have designed this. The
team is a great job in designing this with regular
people in mind. And you know we're busy, right we all,
you know, many of most people have jobs and kids
and families or social obligations or church obligations, and they
have their own lives. It's also hard to get out sometimes, right,
either because you're busy or because a lot of our
(24:18):
patients have trouble with transportation. Maybe live in a more
far flunged area. And remember those practice sites. They range
from you know, affluent suburbs to rural areas to maybe
some inner city areas where violence is actually in the
you know, in the community. As it makes it makes
it harder for patients to get out of our homes.
It's the whole spectrum of society that's invited into our
(24:39):
doors through this virtual program, and that makes it accessible
whether you're stepping out of your job for an hour
or whether you're doing this in the evening after your
kids are in bed. In addition to the virtual environment,
with some optional in person opportunities for people who are interested,
we're also really doing this throughout the day. So there
will be morning groups, they'll be you know, afternoon groups,
(24:59):
they'll evening groups. And because the program is so big
and we're expecting to enroll well over five thousand people
in the first few years, it gives us the opportunity
to provide a plethora of options and allow people to
sign up for whatever works for them. It's hard enough
to take care of your health. It's hard enough to
make lifestyle changes, and so we need to really work
(25:20):
around people's schedules and what they're able to do. And
we've had a lot of conversations, for example, about night
shift workers. Right, we're a health system. We have a
lot of night shift workers in our health system, and
that's very common you know for others as well. Right
or busy working moms, people who need to cook for
their children as well as themselves when they think about
making changes, and the team's done a really good job
(25:42):
at creating variety of options for that, and that's also
why we have these core groups. And then they're electives
as you mentioned, that have been developed for folks who
have particular interests or needs, maybe a special interest in
being like a vegetarian option of that healthy diet right,
or we have a special option that we're going to
do to help people with frugal shopping. For those who
(26:04):
may have budget limitations or food insecurity, or just not
want to spend a lot of money on their food.
They'll be like a special interest group for those as well,
to just address what effort is that people need and
design around human beings and not try and make them
fit into the health system, which is historically not always
an easy thing to do.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Yeah. I love that that it's very specific to the
needs of the individual, whether it's reflected of their backgrounds
or their neighborhoods, or their specific needs, so you really
do customize it depending on where these folks are coming
into the program, who's eligible to participate, and what types
of health goals or conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure,
(26:43):
or high cholesterol does this program aimed to address.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
So when we start this program, we talked a lot
about exclusion criteria, right, who should we not accept And
the answer is like, this is a universal human need.
So the program is aimed at adult patients, so eighteen
and op although we recognize that many of those adults
are caring for children and there'll be a positive impact
on the household, but it's really for anybody. And we
did talk a lot about should we, you know, exclude
(27:09):
this group or that group, But there's really no human
beings who don't benefit from a healthy lifestyle. And rather
than exclude people, we decided to adapt to the different
needs of those patient populations and we just are opening
the doors to everyone. So there's really no exclusion criteria,
you know, and we want to work with folks whoever
they may be. We will have people who have diabetes,
(27:31):
we will have people who are completely healthy, we might
have people on dialysis, we might have you know, all
sorts of folks, older people, younger people. But you know,
eating healthy, thinking about how to exercise, you know, based
on what your body does and what your capabilities are sleeping,
while these are just about being human. And there will
be different needs in each of those groups, but I
actually think that's partly what might make them interesting and
(27:54):
engaging as folks together succeed as a little team, you know,
and helping each other to move forward in these areas.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
There's so much confusion out there, so much variety, so
many differing opinions on what works in terms of healthy
lifestyle and diet. We're constantly bombarded by the latest thing,
you know, whether it's keto or it's paleo, or whether
it's ozembic. And I wonder if you could maybe put
a little perspective on what our situation is. We are
(28:20):
an obese nation, and as a result of that, we
are experiencing record levels of heart disease and high blood
pressure and diabetes and all those things. And I wonder
if you can maybe make the distinction about how this
program is really kind of different from some of the
more fatish strategies and methods that are out there. It
(28:41):
sounds like you're really trying to incorporate a true change
in one's personal approach to food and lifestyle, and it
sounds very holistic. It's not like a one stop shop
or a shot that you take. It's really about rethinking
how you do your life.
Speaker 2 (28:57):
Yeah, that's exactly it.
Speaker 3 (28:59):
You know, we're in it for the long game, right,
and I think to use people's time, well, we want
them to also be in it for the long game
to think about what that means. You know, fads, you
go on the diet, you go off the diet, you
go back to the way you were, right. So there
are a couple of things there. One one is really
thinking about just plain simple health, right, and also realizing
that people don't have to be.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
Perfect, right.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
You know, yeah, a plant based diet is healthy, but
not everyone's going to have an entirely plant based diet
and like that's fine, right, And folks may occasionally have,
you know, foods that aren't you know, technically their healthiest foods,
and that's fine too. We're really looking for incremental changes
because it's not the events or the month you're on
a fad diet that really make a difference over the
(29:42):
course of your life. It's the little habits that you
do day in and day out that have the largest impact.
Another thing that I think was a good strategic move
that we did early on is you know, we did
start out talking about this as a weight program, and
we actually discarded that as our as our branding, and
we also have opened this to people of any body
(30:03):
shape or size. So when we first started discussing this,
you know, we were thinking this would be for people
who's BMI is greater than thirty, who you know, have
you know, obesity by that clinical definition, And then we
just decided, you know what, that just doesn't make a
lot of sense, and it doesn't make a lot of
sense for.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
A couple of reasons.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
One is even for people who are larger, Like it's
not only about weight, and when you you know, you
start hammering the people at their weight, like right in
the beginning, Like, it's just it's not the right way
of doing it. It doesn't make sense, and it's it's not
accurate because even if you never lose a pound, just
exercising more is so great for your health, and sleeping
better is so great for your health, and choosing healthier
foods is so great for your health. So, yeah, a
(30:42):
lot of people want to lose weight, and probably you know,
there are a lot of people whose health would be
better if they lost weight, but that's not the only point.
It's one of several things that are important, and I
think people appreciate that approach and it is I think
the correct and evidence based approach we do.
Speaker 2 (30:58):
But by the way, also have.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
The doors open whether people are on GOPI one agonists
or not, like it doesn't matter. Everyone is welcome because again,
these healthy habits are important for everyone, what regardless of
what other medication options you might choose to pursue.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
The other thing that.
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Happened early on as we were sitting around in our
clinical strategy group, and we ourselves are of all shapes
and sizes, and you know, when we start out thinking
this was going to be for larger people, the thinner
people amongst us were like, wait a second, we want
to join too. And the truth is that there are
lots of people who are not who don't have elevated
body mess index, who are not obese, who have diabetes
(31:33):
or pre diabetes, or a strong family history of heart disease,
or they're cholesterols high, or they just want to be
healthy and live long, and they're going to get benefit
from this program. So it didn't really make sense when
we thought about it to worry about that or exclude
people or target the people who just happen to be larger.
This is really something that's important for everyone. I think
(31:54):
that makes sense medically, but it also feels better right.
It just feels like the right approach to be helpful
and holistic and kind of addressing what's important and acknowledging
that we are all complex human beings and probably all
of us could use a little bit of a healthier
approach to life.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Well, it sounds amazing and it sounds like an opportunity
that folks can take advantage of at Jefferson University Health,
doctor Flatau, If people are interested in signing up for
the program, what's the website and what's the number to call.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
So if you look at the Jefferson Health website, which
is www dot Jeffersonhealth dot org, you'll see a Lifestyle
Medicine page in that website, and you can actually sign
yourself up for the Lifestyle program by entering your information,
and our staff will call and get back to you
about scheduling and talk to you more detail about starting.
And then you can also just call our access center
(32:43):
a Jefferson Health. It's one eight hundred jeff Now Jeffnow
and ask for the lifestyle program and that those representatives
will also be able to connect you.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
This sounds like an amazing program that is available to
folks out there. Check it out, Healthy Lifestyle. It's not
just about losing weight. It's really about reinventing your own lifestyle,
whether it's diet, whether it's sleep, whether it's stress reduction.
It's a new, more accessible approach to prevention, bringing evidence
(33:14):
based weight management and lifestyle medicine directly into primary care.
It is over at Jefferson University Hospital. Doctor Anna Flatau,
Chief of Primary Care at Jefferson Health, thank you so
much for joining us here today.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
You can listen to all of today's interviews by going
to our station website and typing in keyword Community. You
can also listen on the iHeartRadio app Keywords Philadelphia Community Podcast.
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Lorraine Ballard. I'm
Lorraine Ballard Morral and I stand for service to our
community and media that empowers. What will you stand for?
(33:50):
You've been listening to what's going on, and thank you
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