NEOMED celebrates first cohort of Health & Well-being Coaching graduates

NEOMED’s Health & Well-being Coaching Certificate Program celebrated the achievements of its first cohort during a special program on January 15. Among the graduates, all employees of University Hospitals, 15 learners successfully passed the National Board Health and Wellness Coaching exam. 

Sabrina M. Cali, PhD., NBC-HWC, director of the Health & Well-being Coaching Certificate Program at NEOMED

Under the leadership of Sabrina M. Cali, Ph.D., NBC-HWC, the program stands out for its unique structure, integrating both academic coursework and practical training.

“Most programs nationwide do not include the 50 sessions; they usually train the coach, and the coach has to do the 50 sessions on their own. With our model, we included the 50 sessions as part of our program and include a mentoring piece with our instructors during this time to support them,” Dr. Cali explained. As the national board moves toward mandating this approach, NEOMED remains ahead of the curve in health coaching education.

Among the graduates was Laura Lucchesi, M.S., B.S.N., CTTS-NCTTP, a tobacco treatment specialist and clinical nurse at University Hospitals. Lucchesi enrolled in the program to enhance her ability to help patients make healthier lifestyle changes.

UH clinical nurse coordinator Elke Eaton and Laura Lucchesi, M.S., B.S.N., CTTS-NCTTP, are cohort colleagues.

“Tobacco treatment is an especially challenging field because relapse is so common," Lucchesi said. "With my new health coaching skills, I have been able to help these patients discover and utilize their strengths as individuals to help them accomplish their goals of quitting, and staying quit for good,” she said.

One of Lucchesi’s most impactful experiences came a month into training when she applied new coaching strategies with a particularly challenging patient. “She had been expressing frustration over this which made me feel as though I was failing her as her provider.” However, after using the tools learned in NEOMED’s Health & Well-being Coaching Certificate Program, Lucchesi and her patient had their most productive session yet. “This was an incredible feeling because the progress had been so stagnant before. I knew at that moment how powerful and effective health coaching can be,” Lucchesi shared.

The success of the first cohort not only highlights the program’s impact but also the growing need for skilled health coaches in the medical field. These graduates are now equipped to transform patient care by fostering meaningful, lasting health changes. As NEOMED continues to advance its Health & Well-being Coaching Certificate Program, its graduates will go on to empower individuals and reshape health care approaches—one patient at a time.