Floyd Willis, M.D., receives grant to investigate Health-Smart intervention for African-American church members

Floyd Willis, M.D.

Floyd Willis, M.D. (FM ’89), Department of Family Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Florida, received a $200,000 grant from Humana to investigate the Health-Smart Program, a new intervention designed to reduce obesity, diabetes and hypertension among members of predominantly African-American churches in the Jacksonville community.

Dr. Willis will work with the University of Florida to establish Health-Smart Church Centers at six faith communities. The 18-month program will train church members as empowerment coaches to 30 overweight or obese members of the congregation as they learn health-smart behaviors such as physical activity, healthy eating, and stress and depression management.

Dr. Willis is a health disparities researcher and an assistant professor of family medicine at Mayo Clinic in Florida.