The Future of Human-Centered Medicine at Nemours.

It’s July 1st.

The Page

I get paged to the same number four times within one minute. Years ago, that would have immediately spiked my stress. Today, it doesn’t.

I call back. It’s a brand-new resident. They can’t log into the computer and need me to come stat—there’s a parent who is very upset after their visit this morning.

I calmly respond,
“I’ll be right there—and please ask the patient’s nurse to meet us.”

The Moment Before

When I arrive, I can immediately see the resident is in significant distress. They’re trying to explain all the reasons the mom is upset. I look over at Nurse Steph—she’s grounded, steady.

We pause.

I gently tell the resident,
“Stop trying to log in. Go grab a coffee in the residents’ lounge.”

Before we enter the room, Steph reminds me:

“Mom has an assertive distress type. She’s feeling out of control because this is a new resident who doesn’t yet know her child’s case.”

We align in seconds. This isn’t about fixing—it’s about regulation first. If we help her feel safe, we can have a meaningful conversation.

The Encounter

We walk into the room.

“Hi, Mrs. Smith. I just want you to know—we’re here. While today is the start of the new residency class, we have a full plan for your son, Danny, today. And we also have some options for you to take a break for yourself.”

I watch her shoulders drop.

She shares what’s really underneath—her son has come so far, and she’s afraid of going backwards because someone new doesn’t know everything yet.

I tell her,
“We understand. And here’s exactly what today looks like.”

She softens even more. Then she surprises us—she asks for the resident to come back and be reintroduced.

The Shift

Before that happens, I add:

“The Women’s Wellness Lounge is open today. There’s a 10-minute low-impact strength session—no equipment needed—led by a physician who also brings mindset coaching into it. The other moms usually stay for coffee afterward. We’ve got this. Why don’t you head down for a bit?”

I pause, then add,

“Danny is doing incredibly well today. And today is the day he shares his mindset reflections with Child Life. It’s going to be a good day.”

She agrees.

The entire energy shifts.

The Transformation

The resident comes back in. Mrs. Smith explains what was happening for her. The resident opens up, introduces themselves again—with presence this time.

Afterward, the resident asks me,

“How did you do that?”

I smile and say,

“Don’t worry—your noon lecture today is the start of the DistressRx framework. It’s going to give you the tools to navigate everything you’re about to experience here.”

This Is Just a Glimpse

What I’m describing is a system where associates, patients, and families are all speaking the same language around stress, regulation, and communication.

Where we don’t just treat disease—we create environments that support human experience at every level.

This Is What Could Transform Medicine

And This Is Ready Now

This approach has the potential to:

  • Improve associate retention and reduce burnout

  • Elevate Press Ganey and patient experience scores

  • Enhance clinical outcomes through improved communication and trust

  • Shorten lengths of stay through more effective alignment and care delivery

  • Strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration

  • Build a true sense of community within Nemours

  • Differentiate Nemours as a national leader in human-centered pediatric care

The Foundation

At The FIT Collective, what we’ve done is take something incredibly complex—human behavior, stress, and emotional response—and give it language.

Simple.

Shared.

Actionable.

The Opportunity

And when everyone speaks the same language, everything changes.

Nemours has the opportunity to be the first of its kind—implementing this at scale for associates, patients, and families alike.

The Wellness & Stress Reduction Program at Nemours

A Revolution in Care. A Community in Wellness.

This program is designed to integrate wellness, stress reduction, and whole-person care into the Nemours ecosystem—supporting not only patients, but also the physicians, nurses, and families who care for them.

At its core, this is a scalable, on-demand wellness platform that delivers practical, evidence-based tools to improve physical, emotional, and mental well-being—anytime, anywhere.

Program Overview

Wellness on Your Time. Tools for Life.

Participants gain access to a comprehensive library of guided experiences, including:

  • Workouts (strength, mobility, accessible movement)

  • Mindfulness practices

  • Breathing techniques

  • Restorative sessions

The program is designed to meet individuals where they are—whether in the hospital, at home, or in daily life—making wellness both accessible and sustainable.

Who It Serves

Nemours Associates

  • On-demand workouts accessible anytime

  • Stress reduction and resilience tools

  • Stronger team connection and shared purpose

  • Improved energy, balance, and fulfillment

For Families & Patients

  • Simple, guided workouts in hospital or home settings

  • Stress reduction tools for the entire family

  • Empowered parents actively engaged in healing

  • Improved physical, emotional, and mental wellness

Parents as Partners in Care

  • Movement-based bonding experiences

  • Tools to reduce stress and anxiety

  • Support for better sleep, strength, and recovery

  • Active participation in the healing process

A Community of Care

This program fosters connection across the entire Nemours community:

  • Among doctors

  • Among nurses

  • Among patients

  • Among families

Creating one unified, wellness-centered ecosystem of care.

The Model

The program is built on four core pillars:

  • Wellness – Physical and mental health optimization

  • Healing – Supporting recovery and resilience

  • Transformation – Sustainable behavior change

  • Community – Connection, support, and shared experience

Impact

This initiative is designed to drive meaningful outcomes across clinical, operational, and cultural domains:

Higher Satisfaction

Happier physicians, nurses, patients, and families

Reduced Length of Stay

Faster recovery and improved outcomes

Fewer ER Visits

Stronger baseline health and fewer setbacks

Positive Brand Positioning

Leadership in innovation and whole-person care

Improved Staff Retention

Healthier culture, stronger teams, reduced turnover

Better Reimbursement Potential

Improved outcomes and value-based care alignment

Existing Infrastructure

The components of this model are not theoretical—they are already built, tested, and actively in use through The FIT Collective.

These include:

  • Physician-led mindset and resilience training designed to support emotional regulation and high-performance clinical environments

  • Scalable strength and wellness programming that integrates seamlessly into daily life for both associates and families

  • Nutrition and metabolic health frameworks grounded in evidence-based, sustainable strategies

  • Coaching models for lasting behavior change that translate knowledge into consistent action

At the core of this model is DistressRx—

A structured communication and regulation framework, rooted in principles from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), that creates a shared, actionable language for navigating stress in real time.

DistressRx allows associates, patients, and families to:

  • Rapidly identify distress patterns

  • Regulate emotional responses with clarity and efficiency

  • Communicate needs without escalation

  • Build trust and alignment across care teams

This is what transforms complex human dynamics into something understandable, teachable, and scalable.

Why This Matters

When everyone speaks the same language, communication improves.
When communication improves, trust builds.
When trust builds, outcomes change.

The Vision

The most impactful intervention in modern medicine.

A model where mind, body, and community are fully integrated into care delivery.

This is more than a program—it is a system-wide approach to transforming care, improving outcomes, and supporting the people at the heart of medicine.

And beyond transforming the lived experience, this creates something even bigger—a real-time, data-driven ecosystem that allows Nemours to lead the nation in research on what truly drives outcomes in modern medicine.

Co-Founders of The FIT Collective®

  • Ali Novitsky MD

    FOUNDER

    Triple board certified physician in pediatrics, neonatology, and obesity medicine. Co-creator of DistressRx.

    View more about DistressRx™ Here: https://www.thefitcollective.com/abstract

  • Mark Novitsky MD

    Founder

    Triple board certified physician in child-adolescent psychiatry, adult psychiatry, and obesity medicine. Co-creator of DistressRx.
    CEO & Founder of: Novitsky MD Boutique Mind Doctors: https://www.novitskymd.com

    Balanced Behavioral Health & Wellness:
    https://lifeinbalanced.com