American College of Physicians Awards $280,000 in Grants to Address Equity Challenges in Obesity Care

Grantees selected to help reduce educational and training gaps in obesity care

PHILADELPHIA, April 10, 2026 - Today, the American College of Physicians (ACP) announced that it has awarded $280,000 in grants to support regional programs advancing equitable obesity care. A total of twelve grantees were selected, with awards ranging from $12,000 to $25,000, to implement collaborative, community-based initiatives.

Through "Advancing Equitable Obesity Care through Regional Action Grants," ACP supports scalable, locally-driven models that strengthen clinical capacity, improve patient-centered care and address persistent gaps in obesity treatment and cardiometabolic health. These initiatives leverage partnerships across health systems, community organizations and training programs to expand access to evidence-based education and care.

Funded projects focus on key priorities, including:

• Enhancing physician and trainee education in obesity and cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome care
• Reduce stigma and bias in clinical settings
• Improve care coordination and patient engagement
• Expand access to culturally responsive and community-based interventions

This year's cohort reflects a growing emphasis on innovation and scalable solutions, including digital tools, team-based care models and community-clinic partnerships designed to improve long-term outcomes. Projects were selected based on alignment with program priorities, feasibility and the potential for meaningful, measurable impact. The following grantees have been selected for funding:

Dawn E. Calamari-Brinkrode, D.O., FACOI, ACP New Jersey Chapter, The Valley Hospital/Valley Health System, Project name: Weighing In: Tipping the Scales of the Stigma of Obesity through Physician-Patient Partnerships in Education and Innovation

Ivan Cvorovic, M.D., FACP, and Linda Thomas-Hemak, M.D., FAAP, FACP, ACP Pennsylvania Chapter, The Wright Center for Community Health, Project name: Advancing Equitable Obesity Care through Education, Engagement, and Advocacy

Reema Dbouk, M.D., FACP, ACP Georgia Chapter, Emory University, Project name: The Weight of Words: Reducing Weight Bias and Misinformation Across the Healthcare Team

Dhvani Doshi, M.D., MPH, and Riana R. Jumamil, M.D., MPH, ACP New Jersey Chapter, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Project name: Moving Toward Equity: Improving Access to Safe, Coordinated Physical Activity for Patients with Obesity in Newark and Essex County

Gilbert Hebert, M.D., ACP Louisiana Chapter, Tulane University Deming Department of Medicine, Project name: From the Kitchen to the Clinic: Obesity Bias and Stigma Reduction for Internal Medicine Residents

Kyleigh Kirbach, M.D., RD, and Francis Gerald Wade, M.D., DABOM, ACP Missouri Chapter, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Project name: STL STRONG (Shared Medical Appointments Targeted at Reducing Obesity and Normalizing Glucose): A Regional, Virtual Shared Medical Appointment Program to Expand Equitable Obesity Care

Michelle LaBrunda, M.D., ACP Florida Chapter, Health First, Project name: Nourish Brevard Community Health Initiative

Rachel L. Ramirez, M.D., FACP and Kamel Samara, M.D., ACP Pennsylvania Chapter, Jefferson Abington Hospital, Project name: Bridging the CKM Gap: An AI-Enhanced, Culturally Responsive Framework for Underserved Populations

Allison Rhodes, M.D., FOMA, ACP Ohio Chapter, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Project name: From Evidence to Execution: Building a Digital Obesity Care Implementation Toolkit for Primary Care

Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic-focused Projects

Vineet Gupta, M.D., FACP, SFHM and Tammy Lin, M.D., MPH, FACP, ACP California Southern Region 3 Chapter, Project name: Bridging Borders: Advancing Equitable Obesity Care Across Communities, Cultures, and Care Systems

Akash J. Shah, M.D., MBA, MS, FACP, ACP Connecticut Chapter, Nuvance Health, Project name: CKM Obesity Dashboard: An AI enhanced EHR-Integrated Clinical Decision Support Tool for Evidence-Based Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome Management at Nuvance Health

Sumit Sharma, M.D., ACP Ohio Chapter, Mount Carmel Health System - Graduate Medical Education, Project name: Strengthening Lifestyle Medicine-Driven Obesity Care in Mount Carmel Health System Graduate Medical Education and Community Settings

"As a practicing internal medicine physician, I see the impacts of obesity on patients and understand the need for inspired medical advancements," said Jason M. Goldman, MD, MACP, president of ACP. "Obesity is a critical public health issue and presents a significant health equity challenge. This grant initiative provides recipients an opportunity to fill knowledge gaps, accelerate scientific advancement and develop innovative solutions in care for those with obesity. We congratulate the recipients of this grant and look forward to their efforts in advancing equitable obesity care."

Funding support for the program has been provided by Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) and the American Heart Association. ACP received $280,000 in collaborative funding from Lilly to support program workshops and grant projects. ACP also received $100,000 in grant funding through the American Heart Association's Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Health Initiative™, in which ACP is a collaborator.

"Obesity and its cardiometabolic consequences disproportionately affect communities that have historically had the least access to quality care, including rural populations, racially and ethnically minoritized communities, and those facing economic barriers," said Rachel Batterham OBE, MBBS, PhD, FRCP, senior vice president, medical innovation and external engagement at Lilly Cardiometabolic Health. "Through our continued collaboration with ACP, we are working to change that by supporting internal medicine physicians to deliver earlier, stigma-free, and culturally responsive obesity care in the communities that need it most. Every person living with obesity deserves a clinician who is equipped to help them, regardless of their background or zip code."

"Better evidence-based care and better outcomes for all persons with obesity are formidable and worthy goals," says Eduardo Sanchez, MD, MPH, FAHA, the American Heart Association's chief medical officer for prevention. "ACP's grants will advance the goals of better care and outcomes for everyone, everywhere with obesity while generating new evidence to inform even better obesity prevention and management."

Following project implementation, ACP will convene a 2027 post-project summit where grantees will share lessons learned, outcomes, key insights and opportunities for sustainability.

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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 172 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 163,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our RSS feed.

Contact: Laura Baldwin, 215 351 2668, [email protected]