Sharecare announced Ornish Lifestyle Medicine by Sharecare, the company's Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation (ICR) program, is now available through a virtual delivery model. Reimbursable through Medicare and many commercial plans, Ornish Lifestyle Medicine by Sharecare is the first and only ICR program scientifically proven in randomized controlled trials to often reverse the progression of coronary heart disease and many other chronic conditions, without drugs or surgery. To date, Ornish Lifestyle Medicine by Sharecare has empowered patients to manage, navigate, and improve their cardiac health through a center-based, in-person offering.

By enabling patients to participate remotely in the Ornish program, Sharecare is removing barriers to access for eligible individuals, regardless of their location, which serves to not only improve health outcomes but also advance health equity. Further, in initial cohorts, the newly available virtual delivery model of the Ornish program yielded 99% completion rates among participants. Ornish Lifestyle Medicine by Sharecare is comprised of four key pillars – nutrition, fitness, stress management, and love and support – and provides each program cohort with a dedicated, certified team of clinical experts, including a physician, nurse, registered dietitian, exercise physiologist, group support facilitator, and stress management specialist.

By using lifestyle changes as less invasive and often more effective treatment options than medication or surgical interventions alone, the Ornish program empowers individuals to improve their heart's function. Over 13,000 patients have completed the Ornish ICR program from Sharecare. On average, these graduates experienced 72% reduction in angina (chest pain), 21.1% reduction in LDL-cholesterol in those already on maximal medical therapy, 4.6% reduction in BMI, 6% reduction in hemoglobin A1C, 45% improvement in exercise capacity, and 48% improvement in depression scores; and were 45% less likely to experience a major cardiac event in the 12 months following program completion.