Our mission is to promote the health of people in Arkansas and Louisiana by empowering individuals and communities to prevent, treat, and reverse disease through personal, effective, and sustainable lifestyle practices.
OCLM is committed to…
- Empowering patients and communities to improve their health in personally defined, culturally sensitive, and contextually relevant ways
- Drawing from a diverse palate of healthy lifestyle choices
- Providing a receptive space in which patients feel seen and heard
- Going deeper than symptom management to address the root causes of disease
- Working cooperatively with local health care systems and other organizations and institutions to effect change
- Choosing evidence-based, scientifically proven therapeutic lifestyle practices
- Aiming for outcomes that will last.
In the United States today…
- 6 out of 10 adults have a chronic disease
- 4 out of 10 have two or more chronic diseases
- 34 million Americans live with type 2 diabetes
- 88 million have pre-diabetes
Unlike the infectious diseases that killed most of our ancestors, Americans are now dying primarily of noncommunicable chronic diseases that are largely the result of the dramatic changes that have occurred in our environment over the past 70 years.
This is most clearly seen in:
- The nature of the food we eat and think of as healthy
- Our lack of adequate physical activity
Arkansas ranks among the top five states in the U.S. in the prevalence of:
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
With new discoveries in the realm of epigenetics, we now know that our genes no longer need define our destiny: healthy lifestyle choices can turn unfavorable genes off! Lifestyle medicine can not only prevent new diseases, but when applied as a front-line treatment, can at times even reverse established disease states. By embracing the tenants of lifestyle medicine, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes can all become a thing of the past— given a chance, your body can heal.
Cynthia L. Morgan, MD, MPH, FACPM, DipABLM
Dr. Morgan, OCLM’s Founder and Executive Medical Director, is certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine and is one of only eight physicians in the state of Arkansas certified by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. An active member of the American College of Preventive Medicine and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, she completed her medical training at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, LA, and the Master of Public Health degree at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, MD.
As a preventive medicine specialist, Dr. Morgan served in Bangladesh as a medical missionary for 30 years, helping design and implement community health programs addressing endemic diseases and improving childhood nutrition and women’s health. She is a sought-out speaker for adolescent workshops and women’s seminars in the realm of health promotion and disease prevention.
Ozark Center for Lifestyle Medicine is partnered with most insurance providers.
Please refer to the FAQs below for a full list of in-network providers.
FAQ
Do you accept insurance?
Yes! We accept Arkansas BlueCross BlueShield’s following plans: Health Advantage, Preferred Payment Plan, Arkansas FirstSource, True Blue, Medicare Advantage FFS and Medicare Advantage HMO. We are also in-network providers for Medicare; Medicaid; Cigna, Cigna Healthsprings Medicare Advantage; Aetna, Aetna Medicare Advantage; Arkansas Municipal League; United Healthcare (including UMN); Centene, Centene-Alliance, Centene-Allwell, Centene-Ambetter; 6 Degrees; Humana-Medicare Advantage HMO, PFFS and PPO, Humana-PPO ChoiceCare; Multiplan; PASSE (AR Total Care, Summit, Empower); SHARP; Three Rivers Provider Network; and Zellis.
If we are an out-of-network provider for you, we will provide you with a Superbill that can be submitted to your insurance company for potential reimbursement, to apply towards your deductible, and/or to apply to your Health Savings Account (HSA).
What if I don't have health insurance?
We want our services to be available to all who desire them. We accept cash, and have a sliding fee scale to accommodate unique patient needs; rates are available upon request.
Will I have to let go of my current doctor if I want to meet with you?
No. As a lifestyle medicine consultancy service, we are providing specialized preventive care. You will need a primary care provider (PCP)– an internist, family physician, OB/GYN, or general practitioner– who knows you and your medical history, to manage any acute medical conditions that may arise, adjust your medications, and coordinate your referrals to other specialists as needed.
Are you a Primary Care Provider?
The Ozark Center for Lifestyle Medicine focuses on health promotion and disease prevention—foundational components of primary health care. The services provided, however, are that of a preventive medicine specialist, not a primary care provider. We focus on addressing the root causes of key medical conditions that are responsive to therapeutic lifestyle interventions.
I've tried diets before, unsuccessfully. How do I know this will work?
Lifestyle medicine is not a diet, it’s a comprehensive way of living. In the realm of nutrition, we emphasize delicious, fresh, whole foods that nurture the natural healing capacity of the body. With our focus on healthy living, when people commit to the basic pillars of lifestyle medicine, those who are overweight tend to shed pounds effortlessly.
