Penn Highlands Healthcare Invites You to Walk with a Doc in DuBois

Penn Highlands Healthcare invites the community to join them for Walk with a Doc, an international health program that brings doctors and patients together for monthly walks.

The first walk is scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2026, and will take place monthly, on the last Saturday of each month. All walks are free and will start at 10:00 AM. Walkers will meet at the Cherry Amphitheater in the DuBois City Park. In the case of inclement weather, walks will take place inside of the DuBois Mall.

Participants will enjoy a rejuvenating walk with Purvi Shah Parekh, DO, DipABLM, who is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine at Penn Highlands DuBois, and Mitch Kovacs, MD, a Family Medicine physician with Penn Highlands Family Medicine. The doctors will be joined by other physicians and healthcare professionals. During the walk, the physicians and providers will provide support to participants and answer questions.

“This program has had tremendous participation and success in hundreds of cities around the world,” said Dr. Parekh. “I’m very pleased to work with my friend and colleague Dr. Kovacs to bring this exciting and simple program to DuBois as it has shown such improved health results for countless people.”'

According to the American Heart Association, walking as little as 30 minutes a day can provide the following benefits:

• Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels

• Help maintain a healthy body weight and lower the risk of obesity

• Enhance mental well-being

• Reduce the risk of osteoporosis'

“There’s no question that increasing exercise, even moderately, reduces the risks of many diseases, including coronary heart disease, breast and colon cancer and Type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Kovacs. “Research has even shown that you could gain two hours of life for each hour that you exercise regularly.”

Inspiration to bring this program locally came after Drs. Parekh and Kovacs listened to a presentation by Walk with a Doc founder, Dr. David Sabgir at a medical conference. Dr. Sabgir, a cardiologist in Columbus, OH, has walked with patients and community members nearly every weekend since 2005.

“Walk with a Doc is honored to team up with Penn Highlands Healthcare. By incorporating this program, Penn Highlands is demonstrating an exceptional level of care and commitment to their community,” said Dr. Sabgir.

To learn more about Walk with a Doc, visit www.walkwithadoc.org.