Resources for Medical Professionals

Refer your patients to help them take control of their health

With one referral, your patients can access our 15-Day Whole-Food Plant-Based Jumpstart program—a structured, evidence-based experience that builds motivation, confidence, and lasting lifestyle change in a socially supportive environment. Once you submit a referral, your patient will receive an email from RLMI right away with program details and a link to register.

Referral Form

Hear a physician’s perspective on the value of referring patients to Jumpstart.

Earn CMEs with our programs

At Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute (RLMI), our evidence-based continuing medical education (CME) offerings in Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine equip clinicians with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools to improve patient outcomes, enhance professional performance, and support lifelong learning. Through accredited activities, practitioners can earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ and maintain certification with the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine (IBLM) and related national certification bodies (ABLM, ACLM, BSLM, PCLM, etc.).

Both the Live and On-Demand Jumpstart formats deliver the same core curriculum, learning objectives, and intended health outcomes, with flexibility to meet diverse clinician needs.

Successful completion of either format qualifies participants to earn 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ and IBLM MOC credits.

    • The Live format includes medically facilitated sessions that allow practitioners to learn directly from lifestyle medicine experts and gain practical insight into applying these approaches in patient care. To receive CME credit, participants must complete all six facilitated meetings (10 total hours). If a session is missed, participants may request access to a live session from a future Jumpstart Live cohort to fulfill the requirement. Makeup sessions must be completed within six months of the participant’s original cohort and within a single subsequent cohort.

    • The On-Demand format offers the same core curriculum and learning objectives in a self-directed format for clinicians whose schedules do not allow attendance at the Live sessions or who prefer independent learning, with the ability to start at any time. Participants must complete all of the online course lessons to receive the credits.

    • Both Live and On-Demand formats are Certified Lifestyle Treatment Programs by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM).

  • Objectives 1–3 apply to both the Live and On-Demand versions. Objective 4 applies to the Live version only.

    1. Describe the evidence base for whole-food, plant-based nutrition as a core lifestyle medicine intervention in the prevention, treatment, and reversal of chronic disease.

    2. Apply practical counseling strategies, including Self-Determination Theory–based behavior change approaches, to support patients in adopting whole-food, plant-based eating patterns and addressing common barriers.

    3. Integrate insights gained from personally experiencing the effects of whole-food, plant-based nutrition during the 15-Day Jumpstart to improve empathy, confidence, and effectiveness in patient counseling.

    4. Live version only: Demonstrate confidence in conducting lifestyle medicine focused consultations in both individual and group settings, including effective use of a facilitator.

Details & Register Here

Each month, LMGR brings clinicians together to learn from real patient cases, presented by peers and discussed with experienced lifestyle medicine physicians.

LMGR is free medical education, open to the public, with one AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ and IBLM MOC credit.

    • Identify a diagnostic issue raised during the case presentation(s). 2) Describe a treatment strategy utilizing at least one of the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine. 3) Recognize at least one obstacle to effectively treating the patient(s) presented.

    • LMGR recordings are available immediately to RLMI Community subscribers and publicly on YouTube after six months. Not a Community subscriber yet? Start your free 30-day trial today — then it’s just $5/month (or $60/year), and you can cancel anytime.

    • CME credits are only available with live attendance.

  • Please send case ideas and any suggestions to info@roclifemed.org

Register for Upcoming LMGRs

Patient Handouts and Posters

Jumpstart Business Cards‍ ‍

A great way to easily recommend/share Jumpstart with your patients. Click the the image to download and print your own, or use this order form to order a free shipment of hard copy cards.

Other Collateral

Each item is 8.5″ x 11″, one page, single sided, unless noted otherwise. Click on each item to download and print.

Looking for a proven, real-world intervention to support your whole-food plant-based research?

Our 15-Day Jumpstart Program is a ready-to-use, highly structured intervention—available anywhere—that delivers measurable results to support your research.

Jumpstart: A Practical, Research-Ready Tool

Whether you're studying a specific condition or exploring cost-saving lifestyle interventions, Jumpstart is ideal for research that evaluates the impact of a whole-food, plant-based diet. The program has already been successfully integrated into:

  • A randomized controlled trial on patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) - see here

  • A pilot study in progress at the University of Rochester investigating dietary treatment for psoriatic arthritis.

A list of all articles and papers is located here.

Hear a physician’s perspective on the value of utilizing Jumpstart.

As our founder, Ted Barnett, MD, often says, “Jumpstart is like pouring pills out of a bottle.” While lifestyle change isn’t as simple as taking a pill, Jumpstart offers a highly reproducible, high-touch intervention with built-in education, support, and community.

Pills spilling from a bottle

Why Use Jumpstart in Your Study?

  • Consistent delivery with strong quality control

  • Cost-effective and scalable

  • Fully virtual — delivered entirely online

  • Flexible start options — live, facilitated cohorts run monthly; the self-directed On-Demand version is available anytime

  • Professionally guided — led by lifestyle medicine clinicians and trained facilitators

  • Standardized participant experience — ensures reproducibility across cohorts

  • Quantifiable outcomes — improvements in lab values and quality-of-life measures (mood, energy, sleep, pain)

Jumpstart by the Numbers (as of July 2025)

  • 2,700+ participants

  • Participants from 50 U.S. states and 11 countries

  • Referrals from more than 500 clinicians

Ready to Collaborate?

We welcome partnerships with physicians, academic researchers, and self-insured employers. Whether you're launching a clinical study or need a credible intervention for real-world implementation, Jumpstart can support your goals.

Contact us at info@roclifemed.org to explore partnership opportunities.

Doctor Ted Barnett, MD founding president Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute

Ted Barnett, MD, FACLM, DipABLM
Founding President
Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute

Susan Friedman, MD Professor of Medicine, University of Rochester, Director of Clinical Studies, RLMI

Susan Friedman, MD, MPH, FACLM
Professor of Medicine, University of Rochester
Director of Clinical Studies, RLMI

Seal of the Rochester Academy of Medicine.

Accreditation Statement

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Medical Society of New York (MSSNY) through the joint providership of the Rochester Academy of Medicine and Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute. The Rochester Academy of Medicine is accredited by the Medical Society of New York (MSSNY) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Statement

The Rochester Academy of Medicine designates the 15-Day Whole-Food Plant-Based Jumpstart: Live Version and the 15-Day Whole-Food Plant-Based Jumpstart: On-Demand Version for a maximum of 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ and the Lifestyle Medicine Grand Rounds for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

If you have any questions, please contact us at help@roclifemed.org.