Participants who work with a HealthPartners health coach on tobacco cessation quit smoking 65 percent of the time.
Quitting smoking is not an easy thing to do. Just ask Jeannette.
Jeannette, a county employee, has tried to quit smoking on her own before. In fact, she tried the patch – twice – and was getting ready to try it again when she signed up for health coaching through her work instead.
Jeannette worked one-on-one with her health coach, Catherine, to set realistic goals that helped her quit smoking. "Catherine is so calm, relaxed and knowledgeable. Through my coaching sessions with her and the materials she sent me, I was able to stop smoking last September and haven't smoked since. I believe this is because it was a lifestyle change and it wasn't about feeling bad that I was smoking. It was simply something I wanted to do differently in my life, and Catherine reinforced that."
Jeannette continues to talk to her health coach twice a month. These conversations have helped Jeannette with the ongoing support she needs to stay tobacco free. She recalls, "I've had several events happen since I quit in September and through it all I have no desire to smoke – and honestly – even the smell of smoke makes me ill."