Delgado Community College Offers New Certified Health Coach Program

August 23, 2019

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.

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 program begins September 30, 2019 for entry-level students and November 4, 2019 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.

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 at dsmith4@dcc.edu.

 

About Delgado Community College

A Delgado Community College education leads to enhanced employment opportunities or transfer to a four-year college. Admission to Delgado is non-competitive, making higher education accessible to anyone with a high school diploma or the equivalent. Delgado offers instruction online and at seven locations, including the City Park, West Bank (Algiers), Sidney Collier, Charity School of Nursing and Maritime and Industrial Training Center locations in New Orleans, the River City Site in Avondale and the Jefferson Site in Metairie. Founded in 1921, Delgado is the oldest and largest community college in Louisiana.