Equitable Obesity Care Grants

Applications may be submitted by either:

• ACP chapters
• ACP members leading collaborative regional efforts in the United States

Project leads must be current ACP members in good standing. Collaborative proposals that include partnerships with health systems, community organizations, or academic institutions are strongly encouraged.

The American Heart Association has joined ACP in providing financial support for this grant initiative. In 2024, the American Heart Association launched the CKM Health Initiative, answering the call to action laid out in a 2023 presidential advisory defining CKM Syndrome. The 4-year initiative provides a path forward for patients, communities and health care professionals, with a focus on care coordination and equipping patients for their health journey. This 4-year initiative will be implemented in 15 geographic markets, engaging 150 hospitals and sites and reaching more than a quarter-million patients. Learn more about the CKM Health Initiative.

Adherence to Project Requirements

Project Title

Applicant Names and ACP Chapter

Submission Date

Project Description – Clear, concise overview of the project, including:

• Goals, one or more of the following, relevant to this initiative
  • Physician education
  • Countering stigma and bias
  • Countering misinformation
  • Enhancing care management
• Indicate whether the project focuses on the relationship between obesity and Cardiovascular-Kidney Metabolic Health
• Measurable and achievable objectives
• Intended outcomes and impact
• Target population to be engaged
• Implementation Plans

Collaboration and Resources

• Identify project partners (e.g. healthcare systems, academic institutions, community organizations). For any collaborators outside your organization, please provide a letter of support from their organization confirming their interest in collaborating with you on this project.
• Grantees are encouraged to leverage existing CME programs from ACP and Annals of Internal Medicine found on the Obesity Management Learning Hub. 

Budget and Funding Plan

• Provide a detailed budget outlining how grand funds (up to $25,000) will be allocated.
• Ensure that the proposed budget follows funding requirements and restrictions (below).

Feasibility and Sustainability

• Describe how the project will be implemented (within a 10-12-month grant period).
• Address potential barriers and strategies to overcome them
• Explain how the project could be sustained or replicated beyond the funding period

• Align with at least one program priority area (education, team-based care, stigma reduction, or misinformation)
• Leverage existing education and resources to the extent possible
• At least 3 grants to be awarded to programs focused on Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Health
• Be completed within a 10–12-month timeframe
• Demonstrate potential for scalability or replication

• Grant funds cannot be used to fund continuing medical education
• Grant funds cannot be used for physician/clinician travel, or to provide payments to physicians or other healthcare providers/clinicians
• Grant funds cannot be used to cover overhead, indirect expenses, or facilities and administrative (F&A) costs

Jennifer Meyfeldt, M.D., ACP Arizona Chapter, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix Internal Medicine Residency, Project name: Beyond the Scale: Empowering Resident Physicians in Comprehensive Obesity Care.

Julie A. Venci, M.D, ACP Colorado Chapter, Denver Health, Project name: A Community-Based Approach to Combating Obesity Stigma and Misinformation Amongst Interprofessional Healthcare Teams and Patients Experiencing Food Insecurity in Southwest Denver.

Bisi Alli, DO, MS, dipABLM, FACP, FAMWA, LEAN Six Sigma Black Belt, ACP Arizona Chapter, WellNEST Medicine, LLC, Project name: Transforming Obesity Care in Arizona through Food as Medicine.

Gerald A. Cox, II, M.D., MPH DABOM, DABLM, ACP Southern California Chapter, Region II, Mirror Health & Wellness LLC, Project name: Transforming Obesity Care: Bridging Communities with Education and Innovation.

Alicia D. Shelly, M.D. FACP DABOM, ACP Georgia Chapter, Healthy Living for Life LLC, Project name: Escape the Stigma: A Virtual Journey Through Obesity Medicine.

Meenal Shukla, M.D., ACP New York Chapter, Janice Prime Care Medical PC, Project name: 365 Days Obesity Challenge of Brooklyn.

Carla Margarita Martín, M.D., FACP, FAAP, DipABOM, DipACLM, ACP Rhode Island Chapter, Project name: Bilingual Family-Centric Educational Videos and Materials on Obesity.

Tammy Lin, M.D., MPH, FACP and Vineet Gupta, M.D., SFHM, FACP (University of California, San Diego School of Medicine), ACP California Southern Region 3 Chapter, Hosting an Inclusive Table: Expert Slices, Quick Bites, and Comfortable Spaces.

Catherine Tridico Hudson, M.D., ACP Louisiana Chapter, Project name: Scoring System for the Equitable Allocation of GLP1 Receptor Agonists in Patients with Obesity.

Judith A. Melin, M.A., M.D., FACP, ACP Massachusetts Chapter, Beth Israel Lahey Health, Project name: Addressing Obesity: Successful Implementation.

Cardio/Kidney/Metabolic-focused Projects

Arvind Kumar Venkataramana Raju M.D., George M Abraham M.D., MPH, MACP, FIDSA, FRCP(Lon.), ACP Massachusetts Chapter, Saint Vincent Hospital, Worcester, MA, Project name: From Awareness to Action: A Pilot Initiative for Management of Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Syndrome in Vulnerable Communities.

Dawn E DeWitt M.D., MSc, CMedEd, MACP, FRACP, FRCP-London, ACP Washington Chapter, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University (WSU), Project name: From Knowledge to Application: Interprofessional Obesity Education Simulation.

Molly B. Southworth, M.D., MPH, MACP, ACP Alaska Chapter, Project name: Advancing Obesity Care for Alaskans: A Multi-Stakeholder Initiative.

For more information, read the full press release announcing this initiative.