Health Coach
Health Coach Katie Smith, R.N. works one on one with Mt. Ayr Medical Clinic patients to help meet their potential and life goals. Coaching focuses on anything health related that’s holding people back from having a healthy, happy life. Often it's things like weight loss, diabetes, COPD, or congestive heart failure. Health coaching occurs weekly in person or over the phone. There is no fee for this service; it is an added benefit of seeing one of our providers regularly at the Mt. Ayr Medical Clinic.
What Does a Health Coach Do, Exactly?
Health coaching zeroes in on anything health-related that may be holding you back from having a healthy, happy life. This may include providing you with education, guidance, inspiration, and motivation. Often, the things our patients are dealing with are long-term, chronic problems such as weight loss difficulty, controlling their diabetes, or managing conditions such as COPD or congestive heart failure.
Rather than narrowly focusing on simply treating you when you are sick, a health coach promotes long-term preventive care – and what that means for you, specifically – as well as how you can incorporate healthy choices into your everyday life. A good health coach will take the time to get to know you, to identify your challenges, as well as the motivators that work best for you, and help you succeed.
Our health coach will work with you as part of a team that includes your Mount Ayr Medical Clinic family doctor. Information about your overall health and your wellness goals are shared, so your primary care provider is informed about what you and the health coach are working on – to ensure you can continue to do so, safely and effectively.
Most patients benefit from weekly health coaching sessions, conducted either in person or over the phone. There is no fee for this service; it is an added benefit of regularly seeing your Mount Ayr Medical Clinic provider.
Who Can Benefit From Health Coaching?
Basically, anyone living with a chronic medical condition can benefit from the assistance of a health coach like Katie. Your health coach can help you best manage chronic medical conditions, such as:
- Allergies
- Arthritis
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Diabetes
- Digestive problems
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- Respiratory conditions
- Sleep disorders
- Stroke
Health coaching can not only improve your quality of life – it can help extend it. Why wouldn’t you choose to have a medical cheerleader on your side, when your health is at stake? Health coaches can fill the gap between primary care and the changes necessary to improve one’s health on a daily basis.
Our health coach can address complicated issues such as medication compliance, as well as women’s health issues, such as birth control and family planning.
Health Coaching in Mount Ayr, IA
Ringgold County Hospital’s health coaching services are available – for free – to all Mount Ayr Medical Clinic patients.
- If you’re an established patient at the clinic, you can make an appointment with our health coach by calling (641) 464-4534.
- If you are new to Mount Ayr Medical Clinic, call (641) 464-4470 to visit a clinic provider or simply request an appointment at the family medicine clinic now.
