The Walk with a Doc program is celebrating 20 years with new opportunities to volunteer, educate the community and encourage healthy activity. Columbus cardiologist Dr. David Sabgir started Walk with a Doc in 2005 by inviting his patients to go for a walk with him in a local park. There are now more than 500 chapters across 48 states and 40 countries.

In collaboration with the Columbus Medical Association and Affiliates and the AMA Alliance, Walk with a Doc is launching a new pilot project called “Read with a Doc” at local libraries. Physicians of every specialty and career level are needed. You do not need to bring any equipment or prepare a detailed presentation—just be ready to talk about your area of interest.

The Columbus Metropolitan Library and the Westerville Library are both taking part in the project by promoting your program, identifying space in the library for your talk and having their librarians develop a collection of books that will enhance your topic of interest to the communities. If you’d like to get involved with Read with a Doc, contact Bryan Romey at bryan@walkwithadoc.org.

In addition, Walk with a Doc always needs physicians to get involved in their regular sessions. You can help by:

1. Spreading the Word: Walk with Doc events are free and open to the community, so please invite your patients, family, and friends. Click here for a flyer and visit this website for more information.
2. Leading a Walk: Walk with a Doc is looking for guest leaders to support their existing Walk with Doc chapters throughout Central Ohio. As the lead physician at a walk, you'll give a brief 5-minute talk on a health subject, then walk and chat with participants for the remainder of the hour. Fill out this form or email bryan@walkwithadoc.org if you're interested in leading a walk. 3.
3. Starting a Chapter: Launch your own Walk with a Doc chapter by committing to leading monthly walks in your community. The Walk with a Doc team has turnkey resources that make it easy to get started, including marketing materials, liability insurance, and merchandise. Visit this website to learn more and request a Guide to Getting Started.