With 75% of total health care costs due to chronic diseases and 85% of avoidable costs due to health-related behaviors, the demand for professionals who have completed the only nationally-recognized, accredited certification program in health coaching and population health improvement continues to grow.
National Recognition by the Leaders in the Field
Association leaders in wellness, disease management and chronic care recognize CCP including the Population Health Alliance (the industry association representing the largest wellness, disease management and population health programs in the U.S., the Case Management Society of America, and the National Association of Wellness and Disease Management Professionals (NAWDMP).
Developed by Credentialed, Trained Experts in the Field
While many of today's popular health coach training or certification programs include pop psychology concepts or jargon, or, refer to evidence-based models or approaches such as motivational interviewing, it is surprising to many students who enroll in these programs that these programs were not developed or vetted by trained or credentialed psychologists--particularly psychologists with doctoral or post-doctoral training in the fields of medical psychology, behavioral medicine, motivational interviewing health coaching, or health psychology. In fact, most were developed by lay people with no training or credentials in the subject they are teaching.
Evidence and Outcomes Based
Any service delivered to patients or provided in health care or health care organizations should be evidence-based based. In other words services should be proven effective. Patients trust that their health care providers are using interventions that work. They also assume that providers are competent in their use. Other purchasers of these services, including employers or government payers expect the same. This is why all CCP content is evidence-based and peer-reviewed by experts in health behavior change. HealthSciences emphasizes that health coaching should be a formal practice and we evaluate the impact of training on professional skills using standardized, validated measures.
HealthSciences is continuously evaluating the link between CCP and patient level clinical and cost outcomes. In evaluations of our programs by organizations including Kaiser Permanente, NationWide BetterHealth, and BCBS of Michigan, CCP has been linked with better patient outcomes. Be aware of any organization that does not measure the impact of their training on trainees or patients, or relies on trainee or patient testimonials.
New Roles & Job Opportunities for CCPs
Today, some of the nation’s leading health care organizations appreciate the value of professionals who have completed this type of training. More now either require or recommend CCP for new hires or existing staff. CCP opens the door to new home, office or clinic-based job opportunities in:
-Health plan wellness, disease management and care management programs
-Corporate wellness, health coaching and disease management departments
-Primary care clinics, including patient-centered medical homes
-Heart disease and diabetes care clinics and programs
-Health systems, hospitals and accountable care organizations
-Community wellness and regional chronic care collaboratives
-Aging services settings including assisted living and skilled nursing
-Skilled and unskilled home health settings
-Federal and state Medicaid and Medicare demonstration programs
-Private nursing and independent health coaching services
Most importantly, CCP provides health care professionals with valuable new strategies, interventions and practical tools for supporting patients in maintaining their health and independence.
Blake Andersen, PhD,
