Michelle McMacken, MD, FACP, DipABLM and Talya Schwartz, MD Recognized as 2025 Trailblazers in Healthcare by City & State
Dr. McMacken has overseen the creation and expansion the health system’s Lifestyle Medicine Program, among the largest lifestyle medicine programs in the country, and during Dr. Schwartz’s tenure at MetroPlusHealth, the organization has seen a 35% growth in membership
Jan 21, 2025
New York, NY — NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that Michelle McMacken, MD, FACP, DipABLM and Talya Schwartz, MD were recognized as 2025 Trailblazers in Healthcare by City & State.
Dr. McMacken launched the health system’s first Lifestyle Medicine Program at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue in 2019 with enormous interest from patients, at one point seeing a waitlist of over 800 people. Over the past year, she has overseen the program’s expansion to seven sites in the health system. The Lifestyle Medicine Program at NYC Health + Hospitals is now among the largest lifestyle medicine programs in the country, providing patients with chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension the tools to make healthy lifestyle changes, including one-on-one counseling, weekly group classes, and fresh produce deliveries. The program’s pilot phase demonstrated clinically and statistically significant improvements in cardiometabolic outcomes, and some patients have seen their diabetes go into remission using lifestyle medicine. To date, more than 3,000 people have engaged with the program’s interdisciplinary team, whose mission is to reach high-risk communities experiencing significant barriers, including food insecurity.
Talya Schwartz, MD, has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of MetroPlusHealth since 2019. Under her leadership, MetroPlusHealth has experienced a 35% increase in membership. She spearheaded the organization’s transformation by insourcing behavioral health services, revamping the website and portals, modernizing legacy technology, and expanding virtual visits for over 700,000 members. Her dedication to addressing the social determinants of health for New York City’s most vulnerable communities exemplifies her leadership. Dr. Schwartz is also a mother of two daughters.
“Trailblazer does not go far enough to describe Dr. McMacken’s accomplishments,”said Mayor’s Office of Food Policy Executive Director Kate MacKenzie.“Her powerful vision to leverage food as medicine in our Lifestyle Medicine Programs has been transformational in our efforts to combat food and nutrition insecurity throughout the city. Thanks to Dr. McMacken’s leadership, we’re making nutritious and sustainable food access more equitable and opening up healthier futures for all New Yorkers.”
“I am deeply honored to receive this trailblazer award, but the true credit belongs to our exceptional interdisciplinary team,” said Michelle McMacken, MD, FACP, DipABLM, Executive Director of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals. “Together, we have pioneered a large-scale expansion of lifestyle medicine services in the nation’s biggest municipal public health care system, ensuring that our services reach the communities who stand to benefit the most. By combining evidence-based lifestyle interventions with support for health-related social needs, we’re empowering patients to transform their health and live their best lives.”
“Being named to City & State’s Trailblazers in Health Care list is an incredible honor that reflects MetroPlusHealth’s unwavering commitment to the members we serve,” said Talya Schwartz, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, MetroPlusHealth. “This recognition highlights the dedication of our team, who work tirelessly to ensure every member has access to compassionate, equitable, and innovative care. Our members inspire us daily to push boundaries and make meaningful impact in their lives and communities.”
Dr. McMacken has been the Executive Director of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals, a position created for her, since 2022. A primary care physician, Dr. McMacken sees patients at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, where she also directed the Adult Weight Management Program for 16 years. She joined NYC Health + Hospitals in 2004.
A leading voice in nutrition and lifestyle medicine, Dr. McMacken presents regularly to medical audiences, including national conferences such as the American College of Physicians and the American Diabetes Association. More than 55,000 health professionals nationwide have registered for an educational bundle featuring Dr. McMacken’s course on nutrition for chronic disease treatment, part of a commitment by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine to the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities. Dr. McMacken is an Associate Professor of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, where she has received ‘Teacher of the Year’ award three times.
Dr. McMacken received her undergraduate degree from Yale University and her medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. McMacken is a seasoned public lecturer, has published on nutrition and lifestyle medicine topics in peer-reviewed scientific journals and served on the Board of Directors for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. She is board certified in both internal medicine and lifestyle medicine.
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About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.