After undergoing hip replacement surgery, Miki St. Laurent knew she needed help. She had trouble returning to her usual activities and felt more tired and weighed down. While she tried getting herself back into shape, nothing worked. Fortunately, that’s when HMSA condition care manager and health coach Beth Davidann gave her a call.
Life’s better with Beth
The number one priority for health coaches is to support members with their health and well-being goals.
“Beth said, ‘I’m here to help you,’” says St. Laurent. And that’s what she did – the two have a regularly scheduled appointment online, where St. Laurent receives invaluable medical advice and health tips. With Davidann’s help, St. Laurent was able to get back to where she wanted to be, physically and mentally.
Miki St. Laurent with her husband.
“She was my health partner through it all because she knew what I was battling,” says St. Laurent. “Beth got me to start eating healthier, but more importantly, she got me to value myself and give myself enough grace to get a good night’s sleep.”
Sleep and having someone knowledgeable to talk to were just what St. Laurent needed. “I started to pamper myself with regular sleep. How important is that? Well, after I learned from talking with Beth, it’s really important, and I just saw a huge difference in my own health because of that,” says St. Laurent.
A health coach also shares information about subjects related to a member’s condition and offers healthy living tips. St. Laurent found that having all that information regularly presented to her was comforting and held her accountable for the changes she needed to make in her daily life.
On the other side of the call
Davidann works with registered nurses, dietitians, diabetes educators and fellow HMSA health coaches to provide the best information possible to her patients like St. Laurent.
Beth Davidann.
“We check in with folks regularly and help them develop a care plan,” says Davidann. “And with these care plans, the goal is to get our members to make good wellness decisions daily.”
Since Davidann lives on Oahu and St. Laurent is now enjoying her retirement on the Big Island, the two haven’t met in person. But a friendship was born through their chats over the phone.
“It was really a pleasure to work with Miki. If someone considers you a friend, that means there was a level of trust built,” says Davidann.
“She made me feel valued, and she really is a good friend,” says St. Laurent. “She was such an encourager and I think it was our relationship that made it so much easier to heal.”
Interested in learning more or connecting with a health coach of your own? Find out how to enroll in HMSA’s Condition Care program, and watch the video below for more information.
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