Dr. Lily Johnston Discusses Important Role of Symposium for Metabolic Health Conferences
Dr. Lily Johnston, a distinguished vascular surgeon and advocate for metabolic health, is on a mission to address the systemic disconnections in modern healthcare through her upcoming book, Disconnected. This compelling work will explore the adverse effects of a fragmented healthcare system on both practitioners and patients, emphasizing the urgent need for a more integrated approach.
“Disconnected is a story of returning to self,” Johnston says. “It’s my story, and I tell it in an effort to understand why I found such dissatisfaction in my early medical career, why my friends are dissatisfied in their medical careers, and what are the root causes that underlie the groundswell of healthcare practitioners who are miserably unhappy.”
Dr. Johnston’s insights resonate deeply with the goals of the Symposiums for Metabolic Health, Low Carb USA, and The Society for Metabolic Health Practitioners (SMHP), which strive to empower individuals and healthcare professionals alike to reclaim control over health and well-being. She is an SMHP accredited Metabolic Health Practitioner (MHP), and she believes the symposiums serve as a crucial platform for fostering a community committed to metabolic health therapies, including therapeutic carbohydrate reduction.
Dr. Johnston passionately supports the collaborative and forward-thinking environment in this field, noting, “One of the most exciting things about Metabolic Health Practitioners is that what we are doing is ultimately working for patients, promoting a more connected and effective approach to health.”
In a recent Grand Rounds presentation for members of The SMHP, Dr. Johnston highlighted the importance of broadening our understanding of vascular health. Her talk explored various aspects of vascular disease, such as cerebrovascular disease, aneurysmal disease, and limb ischemia, emphasizing the need for early detection and individualized treatment plans to reverse cardiometabolic diseases.
“We must look beyond traditional markers and consider a patient’s complete vascular profile to effectively prevent and treat these debilitating conditions,” she explained.
As the Associate Medical Director for Nexus Healthspan and a board-certified surgeon in both vascular and general surgery, Dr. Johnston brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her practice.
She holds an MD from the University of California, San Diego, completed her general surgery residency at the University of Virginia, and a vascular surgery fellowship at the Mayo Clinic.
Additionally, she earned a Masters in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
She first attended a Symposium for Metabolic Health virtually a couple of years ago, but has attended the past two Symposiums in person, last year in San Diego and this past January in Boca Raton. She will be attending the 9th Annual Symposium in San Diego, August 15-18, 2024.
She highlights the unique benefits of these Symposiums, saying “I think there is incredible value in the sense of community and the diversity of learning. Unlike traditional medical conferences, these events bring together experts from various fields—mental health, cancer, cardiovascular disease, endocrinology and more—and their interconnectedness enhances both practitioner and patient education.”
Dr. Johnston critiques the conventional ‘sick care’ system for its heavy reliance on pharmacological solutions and brief patient interactions.
She explains, “The modern healthcare sick care system is deeply limited by guidelines that are based on what the evidence says we can achieve with drugs and an eight-minute visit.” She advocates for a comprehensive understanding of health that extends beyond these constraints, emphasizing the importance of nutrition, sleep, and exercise in patient care.
“At the individual level, we know exactly how to help people, but it takes time,” she remarks, suggesting that true healing requires more than just medication—it requires comprehensive lifestyle adjustments. Her book aims to shed light on these disconnections, offering a path to reconnect and reclaim wellness and purpose.
She also emphasizes the critical role of patient empowerment and the need for patients to feel heard by their healthcare providers. “I had a patient in my office yesterday, who said, ‘I don’t understand why I am not heard… nobody listens to me.’ This is why it’s essential to intervene early with tailored therapeutic strategies to improve the overall health span of our patients.”
Her vision extends to the broader implications of healthcare, advocating for a system that views the patient holistically rather than in parts. “It’s all related, it all has to be addressed,” Dr. Johnston asserts.
Her enthusiasm for the potential of these Symposiums to inspire and educate is palpable as she describes the interactions and connections made possible through these events.
“It’s a really special conference. It’s big enough to have great diversity of thought, perspective, and personality. And it’s small enough to absolutely have those kinds of interactions and build important relationships.”
Learn more and register for the SMH San Diego –
The 9th Annual San Diego Symposium for Metabolic Health, to be held August 15-18, 2024, promises to be a landmark event, featuring a full day dedicated to Mental Health, meticulously planned and with important contributions by both the esteemed Dr. Georgia Ede and Dr. Bret Scher of Metabolic Mind.
This session is set to offer profound insights into the intersection of mental health and metabolic disease.
Why You Should Attend:
- Expert Insights: Understand the critical roles of insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and inflammation in chronic diseases from world-renowned experts.
- Evidence-Based Therapies: Explore the evidence supporting carbohydrate reduction as a therapeutic intervention for a wide range of metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver, PCOS, cardiovascular disease, and neurological conditions.
- Diabetes Management: Gain invaluable insights into stabilizing blood sugar; reducing medication/insulin needs, and decrease risk of complications in both type 2 and type 1 diabetes through innovative dietary strategies.
- Obesity and Weight Loss Solutions: Discover effective strategies for treating obesity and achieving sustainable weight loss, shared by clinicians with significant success stories.
- Global Health Impact: Discuss improvements in health and education policies worldwide, focusing on the establishment of standard care regarding therapeutic carbohydrate reduction and its clinical outcomes
This conference is Open to the Public, but technical for the healthcare professional, and offers optional CME credits.
Both In Person, and Livestream Virtual registrations are available,
and both include replay recordings so you don’t miss a beat!
