I can remember at age 13, my uncle died of an acute MI. It was the first time a close family member died and is burned in my memory forever. I have always wondered: Could this have been prevented? That is one of many values to a health coach. They prevent disease by encouragement, education, understanding and by helping patients chart a course to healthier lifestyle. When we realize that most disease is preventable due to lifestyle choices, we quickly see health coaches are the best way to help people to make those positive changes. They are the personal trainers for health. They can give individualized “coaching” to make the changes stick and to keep a person focused on their goals. When I think back to my uncle, what if he had a health coach at his doctor’s office in the years before his fatal heart attack? Seeing the value of a health coach first hand, I now know he may still be alive because his risks and poor lifestyle choices would not have gone unchecked.
Does your organization need Clinical Health Coaches this year?
Tom Luft, DO
Family Physician