Family doc brings lifestyle medicine expertise to peers

“I grew up in suburban Chicago,” said Wells, who has practiced family medicine at a federally qualified health center in Chicago since 2009. “I’m still there. When I went into medical school, I knew that’s what I was going to do. I never had thoughts of going anywhere else. I’ve always wanted to take care of marginalized, underserved communities. I know what it’s like. I didn’t have health insurance growing up. I went to County (public health clinic) for my care. I didn’t go to the dentist much growing up. I wanted to be that educator and be able to take care of the community I was connected to. I felt like I understood because I had experienced health inequity myself.”

What was less clear was what kind of physician Wells would become. She initially considered obstetrics and gynecology before the scope of family medicine put her on a different path.

“It was the best thing for me,” said Wells, an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Illinois-Chicago College of Medicine. “It allowed me to do a combination of things instead of tying me to one area.”

Wells graduated from the University of Chicago AdventHealth Hinsdale Family Medicine Residency in 2009, but she wasn’t done learning. She earned master’s degrees in public health (2021) and business administration (2023) and is board certified in lifestyle medicine (2022) and obesity medicine (2024).

Wells, who has polycystic kidney disease, said her own health was a consideration in pursuing the additional board certification in lifestyle medicine.

“There are things I wanted to do for myself,” she said. “I make time to take care of myself with healthy dietary choices, exercise, self-care, spirituality and social connections. Those things allow me to recharge. But I also wanted to make an impact for my patients. So many people are dealing with overweight and obesity. The combination of lifestyle medicine and obesity medicine was a great place to be.”

More than 60% of adults in the Chicago metropolitan area are overweight or obese. Nationwide, the number is more than 75% in adults 25 years and older.

“What I’ve been able to do is be a better educator for my patients,” Wells said. “I’ve been able to dig deep and help patients understand how things they do day to day impact their health. I have good relationships with them, and health is a journey. Not every person has made every change I want them to make or that they want to make. They have become more educated. Most have made some changes. That’s progress.”

Wells also enjoys teaching her peers. She presented in three sessions related to lifestyle medicine during the Family Medicine Experience Oct. 5-9 in Anaheim, California, that are included in the more than 130 sessions available in FMX On Demand.

Her co-presenters in one of the FMX sessions was Elizabeth Polk, MD, FAAFP, DipABLM, associate professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, faculty at its family medicine residency, and medical director of well-being for the Department of Family and Community Medicine; and Ecler Ercole Jaqua, MD, MBA, DipABLM, DipABOM, FAAFP, FACLM, associate professor of family medicine and associate program director of the Loma Linda University Family Medicine Residency in California. 

In that hour-long session, each speaker covered a different topic for 15 minutes:

• how lifestyle medicine can enhance patient care efficiently and effectively;
• the impact of evidence-based spiritual practices in creating a supportive environment for holistic care; and
• benefits of a plant-based diet in preventing and managing diabetes.

Each family physician later presented an expanded session on their individual topics. All four sessions are available in FMX On Demand.

“I love teaching,” said Wells, who also is the assistant leader for the health, illness, and society theme, and college-wide course director for medical colloquia at the UIC-College of Medicine. “I want to be at the forefront of teaching things like health equity and lifestyle medicine in all arenas. I like to share the things I’m passionate about.”

Wells has been a member of the Illinois AFP Board of Directors since 2020, and she also serves on several committees at the UIC-College of Medicine and the Illinois Department of Public Health. She is also the treasurer for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

“I can’t be still,” she said. “Being busy does recharge me, especially when it’s something I love. When you work with good teams it feels less like work.”