NEW ORLEANS — Health coaching is a new and exciting career in the healthcare industry, and Delgado Community College has the only Health Coach Certificate Program in New Orleans. According to a press release, their program begins on Sep. 30, for entry-level students, and Nov. 4, for advanced students. Full scholarships are available, and applications are now being accepted.
Entry-level students are high school graduates, while advanced students are those with at least an associate degree and some healthcare experience. Tuition for the program is $500 for entry-level students and $1,000 for advanced students.
In clinical settings, health coaches work as a member of a patient’s healthcare team. Other employment opportunities exist in insurance companies, nursing facilities, nonprofit agencies, workplace wellness organizations or as self-employed entrepreneurs.
The Delgado Community College program will train students in techniques to help patients take an active role in identifying and adopting healthy lifestyle choices to improve their health outcomes. The program was designed to meet credentialing agency standards of the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches, a requirement for student eligibility to be tested for board certification through the National Board of Medical Examiners.
The Health Coach Certificate Program is designed as a pathway that enables students to earn even higher educational achievement because the coursework can transfer as credit hours into other academic programs.
Ultimately the certificate will bridge for a proposed associate degree in Health Navigation in the Delgado Division of Allied Health. Health Navigators work with patients to overcome barriers to accessing care while also identifying and providing guidance to resources that address any physical, emotional and cultural needs.
The Health Coach Certificate Program is a partnership between Delgado Community College and LSU Health Sciences Center. Funding is provided through a $550,000 award to Delgado from the Louisiana Community and Technical College System and $295,000 to LSU Health Foundation from Baptist Community Ministries.
The program is administered in the Division of Workforce and Professional Development at Delgado Community College. Dana Smith, the program manager, can be contacted atdsmith4@dcc.edu. Additional information is at http://www.dcc.edu/workforce-development/community-economic-development/health-coach-training.aspx
