Coaches will help participants implement meaningful lifestyle changes
Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, 248.260.8466, barbara@eafocus.com
Troy, Mich. —July 14, 2015—Practice Transformation Institute (PTI), providing the health care community with continuing medical education and customized learning programs that improve patient health outcomes, is pleased to announce two of its staff members have successfully completed training to be lifestyle coaches for the National Diabetes Prevention Program.
With this training, Carla Irvin, RN, BSN, and Harmony Kinkle, PTI’s Director of Operations, can assist people with prediabetes to make meaningful lifestyle changes. The two PTI staffers completed their training through course work offered by State of Wellness, a non-profit organization developing leaders and resources in public health education, worksite health promotion and wellness in order to strengthen policies, programs and environments to enable everyone to benefit from a happier and healthier life.
As part of the year-long National Diabetes Prevention Program, participants work in a small group setting developing the skills they need to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The sessions are led by a lifestyle coach. The group meets weekly for the first six months, and then monthly for six months after. The participants must make a commitment to eat healthier, include physical activity into their daily lives and incorporate problem-solving strategies to maintain positive lifestyle changes. The goal is to prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 Diabetes.
According to Carla Irvin, this CDC-led program is directed to participants with prediabetes.
“Prediabetes is a growing threat in the United States. This evidence-based program confirms that participants can make achievable and realistic lifestyle changes to decrease their risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes by 58 percent,” she said.
Harmony Kinkle added, “PTI is committed to helping adults prevent or delay type 2 diabetes for those at risk for the disease. This program meets the growing demand we have not only here in Michigan, but in the United States.”
For more information about how a PTI diabetes lifestyle coach can provide assistance to individuals and corporate and community groups, contact Harmony Kinkle at hkinkle@transformcoach.org or 248.475.4736.
About Practice Transformation Institute (PTI)
Practice Transformation Institute is Michigan’s leading provider of CME and IACET-accredited experiential learning programs for the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and other primary care transformation initiatives. PTI runs the Physician’s Training Center in Madison Heights. Practice Transformation Institute also has NCQA PCMH Certified Content Experts (CCE) who can help practices facilitate the process to become a PCMH NCQA-recognized practice. To learn more about Practice Transformation Institute, please visit www.transformcoach.org.
