Michael Ugwueke, president and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis, is no stranger to the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. He has been exercising three to four days a week for 30 years, observes a healthy Mediterranean diet, and has found that his discipline and routine have kept him mentally and physically healthy — practices he wants to encourage in our Memphis community.
Originally from Nigeria, Michael grew up an athletic child, spending most of his time running around and playing soccer with friends. He grew up in a time of Civil War in Nigeria in the late 1960s. After he tragically lost a younger brother from a lack of medical services following injuries from the war, Michael felt motivated to pursue a medical education. He came to the United States in the 1980s, receiving his bachelor’s degree in biology from Shaw University, a master’s in public health from Emory University, and a doctorate in health administration and leadership from the Medical University of South Carolina. Michael has worked in healthcare for nearly 38 years and has served the Memphis community for 17 years. Through his career in healthcare administration, Michael has continued his passion for helping and providing care for those in need and pursuing healthcare improvement across the board. Now, as president and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur, Michael is passionate about wellness and wants to do everything he can to encourage the Memphis community to adopt healthier habits.
One way Michael and the Methodist Le Bonheur leadership team are working to improve the healthcare of the Memphis community is through Healthier 901. Established in response to the healthcare system’s most recent Community Health Needs Assessment, which identified heart disease and cancer as the leading causes of death in Shelby and Desoto counties, Healthier 901 is an initiative that started in 2023 with the overall goal of helping the Memphis community lose 1 million pounds in three years. More than weight loss, Healthier 901 aims to combat a major cause of heart disease and cancer — obesity — as well as other chronic related diseases that people carry for life. As Michael points out, “The healthcare system has a responsibility to help people, but often hospitals only see people once they are already sick. We want to take an active part in encouraging people to live a healthy life and prevent some of the chronic, obesity-related conditions that can cause them to end up in the hospital.” Through Healthier 901, Memphians are encouraged to focus on the “care” aspect of healthcare and to feel an obligation to care for their own health through an active lifestyle and healthy diet.
How can you join the Healthier 901 community? One way is to download their health and fitness app (“Healthier 901”, downloadable for free in any app store), which can be used to track diet, exercise, weight, and steps and engage in a community forum with other users. Another great way to get involved with Healthier 901 is through the second annual Healthier 901 Fest, which will be held on August 31 from 10 am to 2 pm at Shelby Farms Park. At Healthier 901 Fest, the Memphis community can engage in family-friendly activities like cooking demos by celebrity chefs, surprise guests and giveaways, live music, and healthy food trucks. Additionally, there will be a Find Your Fit Zone to kickstart your fitness journey, an enhanced Family Zone with low-impact activity options, as well as plenty of seating and shade to connect with one another. “Healthier 901 is not a fad or a resolution, but a daily choice,” Michael says.
Though finding fitness may seem daunting, small steps lead to great changes, and community and connection make it easier to get started and stay motivated. As Michael reminds us, the why is worth it — with better fitness, we have more energy, more time to enjoy life with loved ones, and continued mobility as we age.
Visit Healthier901.com/fest or search Healthier 901 in the app store to learn more!
