A personalized approach to health improvement

As an educator, Marcus Benniefield is no stranger to creating lesson plans. However, when it came to getting his health on track, he realized he needed help.

Often overwhelmed with all the information on the latest diets and new health trends, Marcus decided to reach out to his doctor for assistance.

In sharing his health goals with his doctor, Marcus learned about Sharp Rees-Stealy’s Health Coaching Program — a free, personalized coaching service. Patients are paired with a certified health coach who specializes in helping patients create healthy habits to address a variety of health concerns, including stress, chronic pain, sleep, tobacco cessation, weight management and more.

Health coaching, just a phone call away

The Health Coaching Program is conducted entirely over the phone. This was a perfect match for Marcus, who had difficulty finding the time to focus on his health while juggling work as dean of academic affairs at a local college.

After going through the program’s initial assessment, Marcus was paired with Renee Michels, a board-certified health and wellness coach with Sharp Rees-Stealy. Together, they worked on Marcus’ goal of stress management and discussed healthy behaviors that help manage stress. They also came up with exercises to try between sessions.

“We take the time to get to know each of our patients and their behaviors, which helps us to provide effective support and feedback,” says Michels. “Health coaching is a realistic approach to building healthy habits and is intentionally designed to meet each patient where they are.”

Personalized approach starts with listening

The frequency of calls depends on each patient. For Marcus, the convenience of meeting over the phone helped him make the commitment to find time to stop and reflect on his behaviors. It challenged him to take a sincere look at where he was in life and where he wanted to be.

“There’s an anonymity to telephone coaching that creates a safe space for people to be open and honest with themselves,” says Michels. “It allows the coach to home in on truly listening to each patient. And it's not just listening to what they are saying, but how they are saying it and what they are not saying.”

During one discussion, Michels explained to Marcus how nutrition influences the body’s response to stress. Curious to learn more, Marcus asked Michels for additional resources on diet and nutrition. She recommended Sharp Rees-Stealy’s free Be Well for Life Program.

After almost 10 months with Sharp Rees-Stealy’s Health Coaching and Be Well for Life programs, Marcus lost over 85 pounds. More importantly, he was able to make sustainable lifestyle changes.

Over the next four years, Marcus used the new tools and healthy habits he learned to stay committed to his health journey. He has lost more than 200 pounds in total, and he credits the programs and Michels with giving him the support he needed to do it.

“Working with Renee was like a partnership,” says Marcus. “I appreciate the expertise and the knowledge she shared with me. I thought I knew how to get healthy, but she taught me how to get healthy the right way. There are no shortcuts.”

To learn more about the Health Coaching Program, call the Sharp Rees-Stealy Center for Health Management at 858-505-1400.