About
I am a certified health education specialist, wellness coach, and college professor passionate about helping individuals and communities work through challenges to achieve optimal health. With over 30 years of professional experience coupled with a solid commitment to my own health and love for helping others, I assist individuals with achieving their personal health and wellness goals.
I enjoy working with empty-nesters who finally have time to concentrate on their own health, and helping high school and college students practice self-care so they can achieve academic success while feeling relaxed and happy!
Experience and Credentials
I am a faculty member in the Department of Health Studies at American University in Washington, DC where I teach courses in public health and health promotion. I am also a public health practitioner with over 30 years of experience planning, implementing and evaluating health programs, with a special interest in health promotion efforts geared toward young adults. For more than a decade, I coordinated prevention programs for students at the University of Maryland and American University. During the summer, I travel to a small community in the mountains of Honduras to work with teens around reproductive health. I currently serve as President of the Maryland Public Health Association and contribute as a volunteer to a variety of health promotion efforts in the community. As for my own health promotion, I enjoy swimming on an adult masters swim team, practicing yoga, and running and biking with my husband and young adult children.
Degrees
MPH, Boston University School of Public Health
BA, University of Michigan
Credentials
Certified Health Education Specialist (National Commission for Health Education Credentialing)
Certified Wellness Coach (Real Balance Global Wellness Services)
Wellness Coaching
Do you finally have the time to focus on YOUR health and well-being?
Could your high school or college student benefit from a self-care coaching session?
As a wellness coach, my job is to inspire you to find your potential and intrinsic motivation for achieving your personal health and wellness vision. I can help you set realistic and trackable goals, and hold you accountable in a positive and enjoyable way as we celebrate your successes.
I also provide wellness coaching to college students during a time when depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and eating issues are at an all time high. Campus services are struggling to keep up with the increased demand. Now more than ever, self-care (eating well, getting recommended
levels of physical activity and sleep, managing stress, and being responsible about alcohol use) is an important tool to bring to school.
Wellness coaching with me is tailored to my client's needs, and can be arranged by the hour or a monthly package, in person or virtual.
Health Promotion and Community Outreach
For three decades, I have been planning, implementing, and evaluating health programs at the local, state, and national levels. My clients include:
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American College Health Association
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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DC Health (DC Rx)
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Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
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University of Maryland Health Center
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U.S. Department of Education
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Teaching
I am a full-time faculty member in the Department of Health Studies at American University in Washington, D.C. where I teach undergraduate public health and health promotion courses. My emphasis is on the practical application of course material. I enjoy teaching the “tools of the trade” in addition to the theories and planning models for changing and sustaining healthier behaviors that can prevent chronic disease.
Portfolio
Local Religious Institutions Team Up to Address Concerns about COVID-19 Vaccine
In an effort to help fight COVID-19, a local United Methodist church and Jewish synagogue are teaming up to encourage residents to get vaccinated. “Our community is fortunate to have access to local experts eager to answer the many questions circulating about the vaccine,” said Jody Gan, a member of Temple Sinai’s COVID Task Force and American University public health professor.
Jody Gan interviews Dr. Lena Wen on the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in the conference's opening session.
This information sheet and short video was developed at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak for a community of seniors providing support to one another
