Page 3 - MidWeek Leeward - May 3, 2023
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family or the community to from Pali Momi Medical discuss how different life-
“Students are tasked to find someone within their
“The course teaches how to coach people who are pre-diabetic — even if they don’t know it — through lifestyle changes and foods to substitute in diets. Then, people do not even become diabetic,” adds Peterson.
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Program Teaches Students How To Become Health Coaches
bringing the SYDCP to Ha- wai‘i,” according to Peter- son), ‘Aiea High School lead the program in the fall and spring semesters.
coach with different health goals and objectives through- out the eight-week course,” Peterson explains. “Students immediately implement the skills and knowledge they are learning in class with the community member.”
Center family medicine res- idents about “how diabetes works and how it’s treat- ed,” Peterson describes. The residents also focus on the intervention of lifestyle adjustments by modeling the sometimes-difficult dis- cussions of changing daily habits.
style aspects, like diet and exercise, could pose a risk for developing diabetes,” Peterson illuminates.
And, students have al- ready witnessed tangible im- provements in the health of community members.
When they are in class, students report on their coaching progress and learn
All the participants made action plans, implementing easy exercises that didn’t interrupt their day and quick budget-friendly meals. And, the small coaching group supported each other with their goals.
Kanoe Quibelan, resident physician at University of Hawai‘i’s Family Medicine Residency program at Pali Momi Medical Center, leads an interactive discussion with students in Saya Shibata’s Foundations of Health Services class as a part of the Stanford Youth Diabetes Coaches Program. PHOTOS COURTESY ‘AIEA HIGH SCHOOL
One senior student devel- oped a diabetes coaching program within ‘Aiea High School for teachers and stu- dents.
Outside of possibly pos- itively influencing medical careers, the high school stu- dents make a meaningful
“We have witnessed changes in students’ and community members’ lives. Students have gained skills and knowledge to help man- age this awful disease im- pacting our community.”
“The student’s cohort met weekly for eight weeks to
“Now, this student hopes to work in the healthcare field, specifically focus- ing on nutrition,” Peterson shares.
Dr. David Corner (sitting at right), the physician who brought the Stanford Youth Diabetes Coaches Program to ‘Aiea High School, addresses students.
Through the program, stu- dents interested in a health care career are given expe- rience and training in inter- acting with patients — one of several important benefits of the course, according to Peterson.
Students also form men- torship relationships with the medical residents, “learning about their journeys through medical school,” Peterson explains.
impact “on wellness overall for the community,” says Pe- terson.
Dreams Come Alive!
