Health and Well-Being Coaching Certificate
The University Hospitals and Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) collaboration offers a Health and Well-Being Coaching Certificate Program accredited by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) exclusively for caregivers and employees. Curriculum covers coaching process and techniques, wellness, self-care, chronic disease, and social determinants of health topics, ethics, and scope for wellness coaching.
Participating professionals complete a twelve-month program comprised of synchronous and asynchronous academic curriculum provided by NEOMED faculty. The program includes mentored practice coaching sessions and certification exam preparation. Upon completion of curriculum and experiential work, participants are required to the national certification exam administered by the NBHWC.
Learn more about the program and how to enroll on the UH Digital Workplace (DWP).
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What is a Health Coach?
Health and Well-Being coaches are health behavior change specialists, trained in behavior change theories, motivational strategies, health education and promotion principles. Health coaching is patient led. Health and wellness coaches use motivational techniques and psychology to provide patients with individualized support, guidance, and resources to help them meet their personal health objectives.
For instance, through in-person and virtual patient-centered discussions, they meet patients where they are on their wellness journey to help them prioritize and optimize their chosen healthy behaviors. They encourage proper adherence to prescribed medication, and promote healthy nutrition and diets, regular exercise, smoking cessation, weight loss and management, and advocate follow-through of physician recommendations. Health care coaching is designed to improve overall patient health, widen access to care, and enhance healing and chronic disease management.
With greater awareness around personal health and wellbeing, amid a rise in chronic health conditions, health care coaching is increasingly integral to the delivery of integrated medical services and improved population health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six in 10 Americans currently live with a chronic health condition, such as asthma, cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, and an estimate 40% of Americans have multiple chronic conditions. Left unchecked and untreated, these conditions can lead to disability, even death.
However, studies have shown that health coaching helps healthy patients, and those with chronic conditions, modify multiple health risk factors to prevent, mitigate, or reverse lifestyle-related chronic diseases and health risks among diverse populations. Indeed, by using a patient-centered approach, health coaches help their clients make the behavioral changes and healthy lifestyle choices they need to improve their long-term health and wellbeing.