Coaching our members to better health

CAROL HADDIX :: Anthem member, Colorado Springs, Colorado

THE SCOTTS COMPANY :: Anthem National Accounts customer, Marysville, Ohio

Carol Haddix knew it was time to make a change. The then 53-year-old Anthem member in Colorado Springs, Colorado, had been feeling unhealthy and frustrated about her weight. Then one night in January 2007, Carol came home to find a message on her answering machine from her health coach, Linda Jones, who was calling as part of the wellness program offered by Carol’s employer, the Scotts Company.

Carol returned the call. “Linda really listened,” said Carol. “She let me go on and on, and at the end of the conversation she told me about a dietitian at Anthem, Byron Butterfield, and asked if I’d like to talk to him.”

Byron soon called Carol. After asking some basic questions about her eating habits and diet, he prepared a weight-loss program for her. When Carol mentioned that her husband, Jim, was also overweight, Byron prepared a second program for him.

Carol and Jim began tracking their regular eating and exercise habits; they sent weekly logs to Byron via e-mail. They also began reading food labels, counting calories, and watching portion sizes and fat content. “They really did this the right way,” Byron said. “They sent their logs in like clockwork, and they followed the recommendations I gave them.”

The MyHealth Coach program is just one component of Anthem’s 360° Health®, the first program in the health care industry to integrate all care management programs and tools into a single resource. The object is to furnish members the right help at the right time. To date, Carol has lost 30 pounds. Jim has lost more than 25. They are still in touch with both Byron and Linda.

“We couldn’t be happier,” said Carol. “We’re realizing that making smart choices, reading labels and looking at what we put into our bodies can really make a difference.”

 

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