| Chairman | James M. Rippe, M.D. Founder and Director Rippe Health Evaluation and Rippe Lifestyle Institute |
| Chief Medical Officer | William F. Rippe, M.D. |
| Director of Marketing | Amy Stachnik |
James M. Rippe, M.D.
Founder and Director
Rippe Health Evaluation and Rippe Lifestyle Institute
Dr. Rippe is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School with post graduate training at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is currently the Founder and Director of the Rippe Lifestyle Institute, Associate Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at Tufts University School of Medicine, and Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Central Florida.
Over the past 20 years Dr. Rippe has established and run the largest research organization in the world exploring how daily habits and actions impact short and long-term health and quality of life. This organization, Rippe Lifestyle Institute (RLI), has published hundreds of studies that form the scientific basis for the fields of lifestyle medicine and high performance health. Rippe Lifestyle Institute also conducts numerous studies every year on physical activity, nutrition, healthy weight management and other lifestyle medicine modalities either for the prevention of disease or as an adjunct to its therapy if it is already present.
Dr. Rippe also serves as the Chairman of the Center for Lifestyle Medicine at the University of Central Florida (CLM at UCF). The CLM at UCF is the first University based organization to conduct basic research and teach students at all levels in the area of lifestyle medicine. The CLM at UCF is located in a state-of-the-art 8,000 square foot facility in the Research Park adjacent to the UCF campus. Dr. Rippe leads a team of UCF faculty conducting basic research in all aspects of lifestyle medicine at the CLM at UCF.
Dr. Rippe is regarded as one of the leading authorities on preventive cardiology, health and fitness and healthy weight loss in the United States. Under his leadership the Rippe Lifestyle Institute has conducted numerous research projects on cardiovascular risk factor reduction fitness walking, weight loss, running, basketball, bodybuilding, cycling, rowing, cholesterol reduction and low fat diets. Laboratory members have presented over 200 papers at national medical and scientific meetings in the last ten years. Dr. Rippe has written over 300 publications on issues in medicine, health and fitness, and weight management. He has also written 41 books including 23 medical texts and 18 books on health and fitness for the general public including: Fitness Walking, (Perigee, 1985), The Sports Performance Factors (Perigee, 1986), and Fitness Walking for Women (Perigee, 1987). Both walking books were recipients of National American Health Book Awards. His book on executive fitness, Fit for Success, was published by Prentice Hall Press in June 1989. His book on walking and weight loss, The Rockport Walking Program was published in the fall, 1989. His book, The Complete Book of Fitness Walking was published by Prentice Hall Press in June, 1990. His book, The Exercise Exchange Program, combining exercise and proper nutrition was published in February, 1992. Fit Over Forty, published in 1996, explores lifestyle issues related to cardiovascular health, particularly for individuals over the age of 40, and focuses on motivating people to take the simple steps to take charge of their health and lives. In essence, this book teaches people how to empower themselves to live a healthier lifestyle.
Dr. Rippe’s book, the Healthy Heart for Dummies, serves as the flagship book for the new health division for the popular “… for Dummies” series. It was published in December, 1999. The sequel to this book, The Healthy Heart Cookbook for Dummies, written by Dr. Rippe in collaboration with two research dietitians and featuring low fat, heart healthy recipes from 75 of the top chefs in America, was published in May 2000. The Joint Health Prescription, published in May 2001, offers advice on how to keep joints healthy for life. His book Weight Loss That Lasts, written in collaboration with Weight Watchers, was published in December 2004. Dr. Rippe’s book, High Performance Health, emphasizes that individuals should view good health as a platform for high performance rather than merely freedom from disease. It was published by Thomas Nelson Publishers in Spring, 2007.
Dr. Rippe’s book, Your Plan for a Balanced Life, focuses on physical activity, sound nutrition and emotional well being as the three pillars to achieve balance in life and improved health. It was published by Thomas Nelson Publishers in the winter of 2007.
Dr. Rippe also edits a major textbook teaching physicians about diverse aspects of cardiovascular medicine and the impact of lifestyle decisions on good health. This textbook, Lifestyle Medicine, (Blackwell Science, 1999) is the first textbook to guide physicians in the diverse aspects of how to incorporate lifestyle recommendations into the practice of modern medicine. His intensive care textbook, Irwin and Rippe’s Intensive Care Medicine (5th edition, 2003; co-edited with Dr. Richard Irwin) is the world’s leading textbook on intensive and coronary care.
Dr. Rippe edits the only peer reviewed medical journal in lifestyle medicine, the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine which started publication in January 2007 (Sage Publications). AJLM is received by over 20,000 physicians and other healthcare professionals on a bi-monthly basis. He is also Editor in Chief of a six volume Encyclopedia of Lifestyle Medicine and Health (Sage Publications) which is scheduled to be published in early 2010.
Dr. Rippe's work has been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, PBS "BodyWatch," CBS Morning and Evening news and CNN and in a variety of print media including the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal and many monthly publications. He comments regularly on health and fitness for USA Today, American Health and Prevention. He served for three years as Medical Editor for the Television Food Network (TVFN).
In 1989 Dr. Rippe was named Fitness Educator of the Year by the International Dance Exercise Association (IDEA). In 1990 he was named one of the 10 national "Healthy American Fitness Leaders" by the United States Jaycees and the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. In 1992 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from IDEA. In 2000 he was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Central Florida for his work at the Rippe Health Evaluation at Celebration Health. In 2001 he was appointed to the Florida Council of 100 by Governor Jeb Bush.
A lifelong and avid athlete Dr. Rippe maintains his personal fitness with a regular walk, jog, swimming and weight training program. He holds a black belt in karate and is an avid wind surfer, skier and tennis player. He lives outside of Boston with his wife, television news anchor Stephanie Hart and their four children, Hart, Jaelin, Devon and Jamie.
William F. Rippe, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer
Dr. William Rippe earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He serves as the Medical Director of Rippe Health Evaluation. Dr. Rippe is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and has been practicing medicine for over 20 years in St. Joseph, Missouri. Prior to joining private practice, Dr. Rippe served in the United States Army as a commissioned Captain and was then promoted to Major. Most recently he has practiced as an Internist at Heartland Regional Medical Center. Dr. Rippe is a proud husband and father of five wonderful children. Dr. Rippe is the brother of James Rippe, M.D. Founder and Director of Rippe Health Evaluation.
Amy Stachnik
Director of Marketing
Amy is the Director of Client Services and Marketing for Lifestyle Medicine Initiative. She has worked with Dr. Rippe since 1999. As the Director of Client Services and Marketing, Amy oversees all of the new business opportunities and marketing of Dr. Rippe’s various projects. Amy is directly responsible for ensuring all clients receive quality customer service and that each and every need is met.
Amy has a degree in Health Fitness in Preventive and Rehabilitative Programming from Central Michigan University. She has worked in the healthcare field in a variety of roles. Amy previously worked as an Exercise Specialist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan where she supervised diagnostic stress tests and Cardiac Rehabilitation classes. As well as working in the clinical field Amy was formerly the Clinical Integration Director of the Fitness Centre at Celebration Health and served as Director of Fitness and Exercise Physiology at the Rippe Health Assessment at Celebration Health for four years. Amy lives in Orlando with her husband and twin daughters.