June 1, 2026
The Valley Hospital is pleased to announce that it was awarded an Equitable Obesity Care Grant through the American College of Physicians® (ACP) to address equity challenges in obesity care and stigma. Valley was 1 of 12 grantees selected, with awards ranging from $12,000 to $25,000, to implement collaborative, community-based initiatives. Valley received $24,740.
According to the ACP, projects awarded an Equitable Obesity Care Grant should address gaps in obesity care, enhance 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, and expand access to culturally responsive and community-based interventions.
Projects that received grants were selected based on their focus on partnering with patients, feasibility, and the potential for meaningful, measurable impact, according to the ACP.
Dawn E. Calamari-Brinkrode, DO, FACOI, Medical Director of the Earl A. Wheaton, Jr., MD, Family Care Center, and Associate Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Valley Health System, in partnership with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, submitted the funded project titled Weighing In: Tipping the Scales of the Stigma of Obesity through Physician-Patient Partnerships in Education and Innovation. The project team includes residents from Valley’s Internal Medicine Residency Program – Travis Adamson, MD; Dena Alsurakhi, DO; Amy Yeung, DO; and Kruthi Kella, MD.
The grant will also help implement a program to address obesity, which will be offered to patients who receive care through the Earl A. Wheaton, Jr., MD, Family Care Center – located at 223 North Van Dien Avenue in Ridgewood, New Jersey – which provides outpatient primary, prenatal, pediatric, and specialty care to patients of all ages.
“This project will ensure the next generation of physician trainees excel at obesity management and patient care, as well as provide education and individualized care to our obese patient population through meeting all the pillars of obesity care, including a focus on diet and nutrition, sleep, exercise, and behavioral and mental health conditions,” said Dr. Calamari-Brinkrode. “Together through targeted visits with clinicians at the Family Care Center, we will begin a partnered journey with our patients for lifelong changes to improve their overall health outlooks. The center is located on a bus route, which supports a population of patients from infancy through elders, inclusive of obstetrics/gynecology and internal medicine and subspecialty care.”
Over the course of a number of appointments at the Family Care Center, internal medicine residents will use obesity management resources from the American College of Physicians, including screening tools and patient care forms, to track patients’ exercise, diet, sleep, and behavioral health. Support groups, evening lectures, chefs, dietician support, and exercise trainers will aid in this education.
“We are honored to have been chosen to receive a grant for our initiative to help provide education on the epidemic disease of obesity to an underserved population,” said Dr. Calamari-Brinkrode. “Patients will now have the benefits of early education for lifelong goal setting and disease prevention. We are happy to be able to give them the tools needed to move forward in a targeted way.”
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.
“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 the American College of Physicians®. “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.”
Following project implementation, ACP will convene a 2027 post-project summit where grantees will share lessons learned, outcomes, key insights, and opportunities for sustainability.
For more information about the Family Care Center, please visit ValleyHealth.com/FamilyCareCenter.