USC School of Medicine Greenville’s Lifestyle Medicine team has co-authored two new research publications. The publications highlight Exercise is Medicine Greenville (EIMG), which launched in 2016 and involves physical activity assessment, prescription, and referral of patients with chronic diseases to a tailored, community-based physical activity program. 

While many patients and medical providers understand the importance of physical activity to overall health, there remains a need to optimize utilization of this clinic-to-community referral program. Co-researchers Dr. Jennifer Trilk, Professor and Director of EIMG at School of Medicine Greenville, and Dr. Mark Stoutenberg, Professor of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Durham University (UK), are investigating the factors related to the implementation of the EIMG model from the perspectives of the primary care clinics, healthcare providers, clinic staff, and patients. With a better understanding of EIMG program implementation, the research team hopes that findings from this work will serve as a guide for other health systems seeking to incorporate a similar model in their patient care process to address the nation’s low physical activity levels.  

Exercise is Medicine Greenville® (EIMG®) pioneered a partnership between School of Medicine Greenville (SOMG), Prisma Health, and YMCA of Greenville to connect patients who have chronic diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes, to a clinically-informed exercise program delivered in their own community.

Please click below to read about the recent research 

• Factors Influencing Patient Enrollment in a Community-based Physical Activity Program After Healthcare Provider Referral: A Mixed Methods Study 
  Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, Volume 15, No. 1-10, November 2024 
  Leah M. Schumacher , Jennifer L. Trilk, Lia K. McNulty, Kelly R. Ylitalo , Stephanie Eskuri, John M. Brooks, Paul A. Estabrooks, Meenu Jindal, and Mark Stoutenberg. 
• Implementing and evaluating the comprehensive integration of physical activity into a major health system: study design and protocol 
  BMJ Open, January 2025 
  Mark Stoutenberg, Paul A Estabrooks, John M Brooks, Meenu Jindal, Christopher Wichman, James Rosemeyer, Leah M Schumacher, Lia K McNulty, Alex Ewing, Stephanie Eskuri, Frankie Bennett, Jennifer L Trilk.