University of Arkansas students in the Health Coaches program are serving at-risk medical patients in the Northwest Arkansas community during the COVID-19 pandemic by helping them feel connected during a time of uncertainty.

"In this time of social isolation and anxiety, our most vulnerable in the healthcare system are secluded, which puts them at greater risk and in need of basic necessities and medical support," said Laura Gray, instructor in the Department of English in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences and Health Coaches facilitator.

The Health Coaches program is a collaboration between the U of A and Washington Regional Medical Center. In its sixth year, Health Coaches is one of just a few programs like it in the country, as it combines humanities with clinical sciences to bring lessons from the classroom to life. It also gives undergraduate students the opportunity for hands-on health care work early in their careers.

"Though we have shifted from our regular weekly home check-ins and collaborative meetings to working remotely — such as video conferencing, phone calls and texting — the care for our patients continues. They know they're not alone," Gray said.

In addition to personal conversations to help combat loneliness, students are also helping patients with tasks like getting necessary medical supplies, answering COVID-19 safety questions and setting up tele-health appointments. Of course, they're also continuing to help with the patients' usual health goals and conditions, which can include complex socioeconomic issues.

Students in the program come from a variety of majors at the U of A, including public health, kinesiology, communication sciences and disorders, nursing, biology, and psychology, English, history and other areas of the humanities. Many are interested in future medical careers, which is why Hagstrom said it's important for these undergraduate students to see how it works in the real world.

U of A senior Emily Bell, a public health major and student in the Health Coaches program, plans to apply for the Occupational Therapy program after graduation.

She said she misses the face-to-face interaction she enjoyed pre-pandemic.

"I certainly do miss meeting with nurses and doctors weekly to discuss our patients," she said. "But patients and health coaches know we are trying to do everything we can to keep our patients healthy. We continue with weekly phone calls, weekly reports, and discussion boards to replace the activities we would be doing normally. It's very patient-centered."

Fran Hagstrom, an associate professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communications Disorders in the College of Education and Health Professions, serves as the coordinator of Health Coaches and facilitates along with Gray. She said one of the program's goals is to keep senior citizens with chronic health conditions out of the hospital and in their homes, to improve their quality of life.  

Aubrey Knetter, a Health Coaches student.

"Our student health coaches are the conduit for this quality of life," she said. "They 'visit' patients weekly, checking to see if they have any concerns about their health. They listen to their dilemmas, which can be as simple as not knowing how to use a smart phone, to wondering if their family will ever come to visit. And they both share dreams — those the elders have experienced — as well as those the students are following."

Hagstrom said that connection is fundamental to the Health Coaches program. Over the three semesters they are in the program, students come to see the importance of communication, listening and identifying what really matters in a person's life, beyond physical ailments.

"COVID-19 is a game changer for both our Health Coaches patients and our students," Hagstrom said. "The need for interpersonal connection for both patients and our student coaches hasn't changed. Now, more than ever, our elders need questions answered and reassurance. The weekly visits that are now over the phone or through text are not the same, but they are vital in helping our Health Coach patients continue eating, sleeping and pushing forward."

Students in the program receive academic credit and pre-professional training, but Gray and Hagstrom said the true reward lies in the relationships they build with the team and their patients.

"The patients are missing seeing the student faces in person right now, but tell us that the calls and check-ins are so important," Gray said. "And the students are able to see firsthand how issues like the coronavirus affect individual lives and how their support truly matters."

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