Dr. Padmaja Patel, a board-certified Indian American internist specializing in lifestyle medicine and healthcare transformation strategies, has been named to the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Dr. Patel, who is the president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and Chief Medical Officer of Nudj Health, an ACLM-certified Lifestyle Treatment Program, was appointed to the committee for a term set to expire Sept. 1, 2029.
The Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee was established to develop nutritional guidelines for residents of the state.
Dr. Patel is a member of the American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, and the American Association of Physician Leaders.
Additionally, she is the president of Midland Quality Alliance, founding chair of the ACLM clinical practice and quality committee, a board member for Healthy City Midland, and a member of the Primary Care Collaborative.
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She has served as a member of the professional advisory council for the National Quality Forum and as a member of the Endorsement and Maintenance Committee for the Partnership for Quality Measurement.
Dr. Patel received a premedical degree from Vitthalbhai Patel & Rajratna P. T. Patel Science College and a Doctor of Medicine in Internal Medicine from the University of Missouri.
A pioneer in the field of Lifestyle Medicine (LM), Patel has developed innovative care delivery models. Her work includes designing an office-based intensive cardiac rehabilitation program for physicians.
Dr. Patel has successfully delivered LM-based ITLC programs for chronic disease remission in both in-person and virtual settings. She is a strong advocate for LM integration within health systems across the patient care continuum and in employee and population health.
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Her efforts to integrate lifestyle medicine into employee health have resulted in significant cost savings. She has also held the position of lifestyle medicine Medical Director at Wellvana, a national value-based healthcare organization, and as Vice President of the World Lifestyle Medicine Organization.
Dr. Patel has been awarded the prestigious title of Fellow of ACLM in recognition of her remarkable contributions to the field of Lifestyle Medicine. Additionally, she has been honored with the 2023 AMWA Inspire Award, which acknowledges her as a source of inspiration for others through her dedication to healthcare, compassionate treatment of patients, leadership, advocacy, and community service.
Dr. Patel is also a co-founder of Healthy City, a non-profit organization aimed at raising awareness of the benefits of plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine within her community.