Members of the BestHealth team achieved certification as Preventative Health Specialists after completing an innovative 15-week training course designed to teach the skills necessary to impact health-related behavior change. The intensive program is part of a statewide pilot project designed by the Coalition for Better Health, a Tennessee-based nonprofit.
The program included nearly 50 hours of virtual learning and reading, as well as another 10 hours of practical skills training in a group setting. After passing the proficiency test, BestHealth team members earned the Preventative Health Specialist certification from the Coalition for Better Health. They also gained certificates in Motivational Interviewing from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Members of the BestHealth team now have advanced competency in motivational interviewing and health coaching in support of health promotion and disease prevention. As part of the program’s second cohort, BestHealth members are among an elite group of professionals across Tennessee who are working together to improve health outcomes and drive change.
The Coalition for Better Health joined with several organizations for deployment and testing for the program, including HCA TriStar Division, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Cherokee Health Systems, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Ballad Health, Tennessee Heart Health Network, Lipscomb University, Vanderbilt Health Coaching Program, Middle Tennessee State University’s School of Nursing and the University of Tennessee at Martin.
