Delgado to Debut Health Coach Certificate Program on May 1

April 01, 2019

Delgado Community College will host an event at 1542 Tulane Ave. on Wednesday, May 1, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. to announce the Health Coach Certificate Program, a new healthcare program in the Division of Workforce and Professional Development at Delgado.

With a $550,000 award from the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS), Delgado is working towards development of the program with a proposed start in the fall of 2019.

The Health Coach Certificate Program is being designed to meet credentialing agency standards, a requirement for student eligibility to be tested for board certification through the National Board of Medical Examiners. The program is part of a comprehensive plan to serve as a bridge for a proposed, but not yet approved, associate degree in Health Navigation.

LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans is a partner with Delgado through active engagement with providing technical assistance in the curriculum design, development and implementation of the comprehensive plan.

Graduates will play a vital role in improving patient health outcomes in the greater New Orleans area. Health coaches are behavior change specialists trained in techniques to partner with patients for identifying health goals that put them on a path to management of chronic conditions. Health navigators, as members of the care team, work with patients to focus on overcoming barriers to accessing care while also identifying any physical, emotional and cultural needs.

The plan sets in motion a model pathway for intensifying healthcare workforce and professional development in the greater New Orleans area to improve the social and economic conditions of graduates as well as health outcomes for residents. 

Delgado Community College will celebrate 100 years of service to the New Orleans region in 2021. The oldest and largest community college in Louisiana, Delgado provides instruction online and at seven locations. Fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Delgado offers students the most comprehensive array of education and training services available in the 10-parish New Orleans region. Additionally, Delgado has articulation agreements with most of the state’s four-year colleges and universities that allow students to transfer their Delgado credits to bachelor’s degree programs. As well as offering degrees and transferable college credits, Delgado provides diplomas and certificates in many professional and technical areas. Workforce development is a priority at Delgado, hence the college’s well-known motto: “Education that works!” www.dcc.edu