Dr. Sanjay Shewakramani on Parks, Wellness, and Community
At Cincinnati Parks Foundation, we believe parks are essential to the health of our city. They are places of beauty, restoration, belonging, and connection. They give people room to move, breathe, gather, and reconnect—with nature, with one another, and often with themselves. That is one of the many reasons we are grateful to have Dr. Sanjay Shewakramani serving on our Board of Directors and on our Cincinnati Parks + Rec for Wellness committee.
Sanjay brings a unique perspective to our work. As Medical Director of the Emergency Department at UC Health’s West Chester Hospital, an Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and President & CEO of Revive Strength & Wellness, he has built his career around caring for others. He also knows firsthand the toll that stress, disconnection, and burnout can take in modern life. That is exactly why his belief in the healing power of parks matters so much to our mission.
A Shared Vision of Wellness
When Sanjay joined Cincinnati Parks Foundation, he described the path as “really fortuitous.” He had spent years developing a deeper appreciation for nature and was looking for a way to bring together health, the outdoors, and community service. In Cincinnati Parks Foundation, he found a place where those values could come together in a meaningful way.
That alignment is important. At Cincinnati Parks Foundation, we work to strengthen Cincinnati’s parks through partnerships, relationships, and community support. Our mission is grounded in conserving, creating, and connecting, and Sanjay’s perspective reinforces all three. He understands that parks are not just amenities. They are part of the infrastructure of a healthier city. They offer opportunities for prevention, restoration, movement, and human connection in ways that feel accessible and real.
Sanjay and Wally at Alms Park
The Power of Invitation and Board Leadership
Sanjay’s connection to our board also reflects something we value deeply: strong community institutions are built through relationships. Sanjay shared that a meeting with fellow board member Christine Schaub helped him realize he had found the right opportunity. That detail says a great deal about how meaningful board leadership works. It is not only about governance. It is also about cultivation—recognizing people whose experience and values can deepen the work and inviting them in.
Christine brings decades of wealth management experience and a deep commitment to community engagement to our board. Her role in helping bring Sanjay into the Foundation is a reminder that community-building begins within leadership itself. When board members actively help shape and strengthen the organization from within, they do more than fill seats. They help grow a culture of stewardship, connection, and shared purpose that reaches far beyond the boardroom.
Caring for the Caregivers
Sanjay’s voice is especially meaningful because he brings a healthcare lens to our work. As an emergency medicine physician, he knows the emotional and physical demands that healthcare workers carry every day. He has spoken candidly about burnout, saying, “Burnout in healthcare is a real concern,” and just as plainly, “If we don’t feel well, we can’t help our patients.” Those words resonate far beyond hospitals and clinics. They point to a broader truth: caring for a community also means caring for the people doing the caring.
That is one reason Cincinnati Parks + Rec for Wellness matters so deeply. Sanjay has said, “I want to help people feel better and especially the health providers,” and he sees this program as a practical way to do that. He also emphasizes how simple, effective wellness can be: “Spending time outside, walking, socializing are incredibly important for our wellbeing.” In a world that often treats wellness as complicated or out of reach, that perspective is a powerful reminder that some of the most meaningful forms of restoration are also the most accessible.
“Have an appreciation for parks and what they can do to bring the community together and expose us to the beauty that is life.”
Parks as Places of Healing and Belonging
For Sanjay, this work is personal as well as professional. He has reflected on “the effect parks had on me when I wasn’t feeling my best” and his desire to “show others what parks can do.” That sentiment gets at the heart of why parks matter. They are not just places to visit. They are places where people can find clarity, comfort, and perspective—especially during difficult seasons of life.
He also understands the power of parks to turn a city into a home. When asked about his favorite park, he did not hesitate: Alms Park. Recalling one of his first walks there, he remembered seeing two bucks jump across the trail and said, “I knew I was home.” It is a simple story, but it captures something profound. Parks are where people build memories, find belonging, and develop a deeper connection to place.
Parks Offer Social Connection
Sanjay has been clear about one of the most urgent challenges facing communities today: isolation. He believes parks can be part of the answer. “Parks offer social connection,” he said, pointing to the many ways people can gather and engage—through volunteering, attending events, taking part in yoga or skating, or simply sharing space outdoors with others. That view aligns closely with what we see every day across Cincinnati’s parks: parks lower the barrier to belonging. They make connection possible in ways that feel natural, welcoming, and joyful.
He brings that same outlook to his board service. Reflecting on his first year with the Foundation, Sanjay said, “There’s constant activity, excitement, and a push to do more for the community—it’s invigorating.” He added, “Personally, I’ve been focused on connecting people to people and people to ideas.” That spirit is central to our work. Parks are not only public spaces; they are shared civic spaces where new relationships, new partnerships, and new possibilities can take root.
When asked what makes a good board member, Sanjay’s answer came back to parks themselves: “Have an appreciation for parks and what they can do to bring the community together and expose us to the beauty that is life.” That belief is more than philosophy. It is a call to lead with both care and imagination—to see parks as places where community can be strengthened in lasting ways.
Sanjay and other hikers at a Cincinnati Parks + Rec for Wellness event led by Osher.
Why Parks + Rec for Wellness Matters
Cincinnati Parks + Rec for Wellness puts that vision into action. As our program page explains, it is “more than a guide”; it is “a movement” designed to make wellness easy, welcoming, and part of everyday life. In partnership with the Osher Center for Integrative Health at UC, Findlay Market, and others, the program offers free or low-cost opportunities such as hiking, yoga, Tai Chi, skating, and access to fresh local food. The goal is simple and powerful: no matter where someone is on their wellness journey, there is something for them in Cincinnati’s parks and recreation centers.
That accessibility is part of what makes the program so important. The Foundation describes these offerings as classes that help people “move, feel good, and connect with others,” with an open invitation: “All are welcome—just show up and join the fun!” Across the city, programming supports physical, mental, and social wellbeing in settings that feel close to home, from park trails to neighborhood recreation spaces.
The program’s impact is also broadened by its inclusive partnerships. The Osher Center collaboration helps bridge integrative health, stress reduction, preventive care, and public greenspace. Accessible offerings include be.well with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, which gives children with disabilities opportunities to be active outdoors, make new friends, and improve their health, along with adaptive riding sessions at Mt. Airy Forest for individuals with special needs. This is what it looks like when a wellness program takes access seriously: it opens the door wider and makes belonging part of the design.
Building a Healthier, More Connected Cincinnati
Sanjay’s enthusiasm for Owl’s Nest Park also speaks to the larger promise of parks in community life. He called the project “truly inspiring” and described it as more than a renovation—“a powerful bridge bringing two neighborhoods closer together.” That language reflects exactly why park investment matters. Great parks do not just improve landscapes. They strengthen relationships across neighborhoods and create shared spaces where people can gather, heal, and thrive together.
At Cincinnati Parks Foundation, we are proud to work alongside leaders like Sanjay and Christine who understand that wellness is not separate from community, and community is not separate from place. Parks can support the health of caregivers, create opportunities for movement and joy, reduce isolation, and help people feel at home in their city. That is the future we are building toward: a Cincinnati where parks continue to connect people to nature, to each other, and to the wellbeing every community deserves.
