Stories from the Field - Implementation of Physical Activity as a Vital Sign in the Mayo Clinic Health System Recent research indicates improved patient outcomes when physical activity is assessed as a vital sign at primary care visits and tracked over time. Following the lead of the Exercise is Medicine initiative, Mayo Clinic Health System in Minnesota adopted the physical activity vital sign (PAVS) within their electronic medical record (EMR) in 2013. Primary care providers at 19 different clinical sites across southern Minnesota are now able to easily assess their patient’s physical activity levels and counsel patients that are not meeting minimum guidelines for aerobic exercise. To read more about the work being done at the Mayo Clinic, click here. Upcoming Events - 7th World Congress on Exercise is Medicine and ACSM's 63rd Annual Meeting in Boston Exercise is Medicine is back for its 7th World Congress at ACSM's 63rd Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, where top experts will discuss the latest on EIM topics from health care integration and implications of physical activity on community health to exercise in special populations, and so much more. We are looking forward to a great lineup of presentations and symposia that bring awareness to the growth of EIM in the U.S. and around the world! See you in Boston! NEW to this Year's Annual Meeting - EIM Workshop for Health Care Providers On Saturday, June 4 EIM will be hosting its newest workshop "Integrating Physical Activity Counseling in Health Care Settings" from 8:00am - 4:00pm at the Boston Sheraton Hotel. This workshop will provide physicians and other health care professionals training on implementing evidence-based strategies for integrating physical activity counseling as a regular part of their clinical practice. To learn more and register, click here. Other highlighted EIM topics and symposia that will be presented at the World Congress include: Tuesday, May 31st The Economic Costs of Physical Inactivity - EIM Keynote Lecture by Michael Pratt, MD, MPH, FACSM (5:30-6:30pm) Approaches to Integrating Physical Activity Training into Medical School Settings - An EIM Symposium (1:00-3:00pm) Wednesday, June 1st EIM Evaluation: Adapting the RE-AIM Framework presented by Paul Estabrooks, PhD (1:00-1:50pm) Linking Patients to Community Resources: The Role of Physical Activity Referral Schemes - An EIM Symposium (2:10-3:00pm) EIM on Campus: A Recognition of Outstanding Programs (5:30-6:30pm) EIM International - EIM Turkey Beginning in 2014, leaders from academia, the government and health promotion associations came together to explore the possibility of bringing EIM to Turkey and engage the healthcare sector in taking responsibility for getting their patients to become more physically active. An MOU between the EIM Global Center and the Promotion of Health & Health Policy Association was officially signed at the 2015 Annual Meeting in San Diego, California. Since that time, EIM Turkey, under the leadership of Dr. Haydar Demirel, has been undergoing a flurry of activity. To read more about EIM Turkey and their integration of physical activity in health care, click here. Meet the Leader This month EIM introduces you to Christa Janse van Rensburg, Director of the EIM South Africa National Center and an Associate Professor and Head of Department: Section Sports Medicine at the University of Pretoria in Pretoria, South Africa. Professor Janse van Rensburg, who did her doctoral research on the impact of exercise on rheumatoid arthritis, has been a pioneer in introducing the concept of exercise as a form of medicine at her institution and has worked to make it an important part of people's lives. To read about Professor Janse van Rensburg and her story, click here. EIM Resources - It's May! Celebrate Exercise is Medicine Month. This month is Exercise is Medicine Month and there are numerous ways to be involved through the month. The EIM Month Toolkit has been updated and is available for download, but other resources available health advocates and public officials around the world are getting it. Since 2010, Exercise is Medicine® Month has been proclaimed by mayors, governors, Congress and the President and this year the focus is on the role of the health care provider within EIM. However, all can be involved! To learn more about EIM Month 2016 and how to get your community involved, visit our website or download the new EIM Month 2016 Toolkit! EIM in the News - EIM Ambassador Program Update Last month EIM hosted a second EIM Ambassador Training Workshop at ACSM's Rocky Mountain Chapter Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado. With a great turnout of more than 30 participants, we are excited to see the future developments of our EIM Ambassadors. At the Annual Meeting in Boston, EIM will be hosting another Ambassador Training Workshop on Wednesday, June 1st from 12:00 - 1:00pm, with time afterwards to Q&A as well as a chance to network with other Ambassadors. The training and networking event will be in the Hampton room at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. We look forward to seeing you there! To learn more about the EIM Ambassador Program, click here. Tell Us About Your Research! EIM is looking for individuals who are doing research in the arena of physical activity integration into health care, community engagement, and other areas that reflect the vision of EIM - to see physical activity become a standard in health care. If you are interested in sharing your research, please email eim@acsm.org.