05 Oct Onlife Health Coaching Staff Continues Its Commitment to Holistic Well-Being with Additional Certifications

Brentwood, Tennessee, October 5, 2020—Onlife Health, a GuideWell Company with 23 years of experience in delivering well-being-engagement solutions, today announced that its entire health coaching staff will be board-certified by the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC) by year-end 2021.

Board certification by the NBHWC is the highest-level professional credential for health & wellness coaches, who must demonstrate a deep understanding of the rigorous standards and core competencies of their profession after completing a minimum of 75 hours of education and training. The NBHWC, in partnership with the National Board of Medical Examiners, establishes the professional standards for health coaching nationwide.

“This certification further underscores Onlife’s longstanding commitment to serve each member in a more holistic manner by providing the resources they need to improve their mental, social and emotional well-being in addition to their physical health,” said Tammy Scott, Director of Client Engagement at Onlife Health. “Every Onlife coach must currently have at least a bachelor’s degree or be licensed in a health-related discipline such as nursing, dietetics, exercise science, counseling, social work or health education. By receiving this additional training and NBHWC certification, our coaches will be even better equipped to provide our members with the support and expertise they need to make permanent, healthy changes that are meaningful to their lives.”

“Onlife Health continues to move beyond the traditional model of wellness that was once narrowly defined by exercise and nutrition,” said LaToya Brown, Engagement Center Project Manager at Onlife Health. “For years, the industry has been shifting to a more comprehensive, evolving definition of wellness that focuses more on the whole person and providing additional tools to help manage all aspects of life, such as environment, mental well-being, social isolation and financial well-being to name a few. In today’s world, where the stress created by the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacts the nation’s health, this kind of continued holistic approach to well-being is more important than ever, and these additional skills will only make our coaches more successful in breaking down barriers and motivating members to achieve their goals.”

According to Brenda Gill, Senior Manager of Clinical Services at Onlife Health, Onlife already includes questions on its Health Assessment to learn more about the overall well-being of its members. “Last year, we also began including questions on Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) in the Health Assessment, recognizing that where a person lives, learns, works and plays has a significant impact on a wide range of health risks and outcomes,” said Gill. “Our coaches have always focused on providing a more comprehensive approach to wellness that includes social and emotional well-being. Now, through this NBHWC Certification, we’re providing our coaches with additional in-depth training in these areas. After all, it’s hard to help someone improve their physical health if they are not emotionally ready to address their health issues.”

While telephonic coaching has been an important part of the health and well-being landscape for years, Onlife is seeing more and more users leverage Secure Messaging with their coaches. “People appreciate the opportunity to interact with their coaches anytime/anywhere,” said Gill. “Through the Onlife portal and mobile app, our users can send secure messages back and forth with their coach as if they were texting their best friend, all while knowing they can reach out to their coach by phone if they need to hear that supportive voice.”

More and more health organizations are recognizing the pivotal role coaching can play in improving health and well-being. For example, the American Medical Association (AMA) recently approved new Category III Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) Codes for health and well-being coaching, effective January 1, 2020.

“We see our coaching continuing to evolve with the digital landscape, while still providing that human touch to those who need the support, said Scott.” We’re excited to be part of this new and expanded role for health coaching.”

About Onlife Health

Onlife Health, a GuideWell company, brings end-to-end simplicity to population health and wellness, connecting and integrating people, technology, and benefit design through our user-friendly engagement platform, guiding members on the “next right thing to do” in their healthcare journey. Our unique approach – personalized, supported, connected – drives engagement and delivers value. With its built-in agility, the Onlife platform can be quickly and easily configured and scaled to serve any market, from commercial health insurance to Medicare Advantage and Individual (ACA) lines of business.

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For Media Inquiries Please Contact:
Meg Cook, Sr. Director of Marketing
Megan_cook@onlifehealth.com
615.879.2423