This is a JOINT APPLICATION as it's our work together that makes this endeavor special, unique, innovative and successful! Information on MaryBeth Baun is submitted separately 

1. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Education: M.D., 1994 (Univ of South Florida), Residency: Baylor College of Medicine; Board Certified ABIM; Fellowship application approved: FACP (to be active 1/1/15); Certified Wellness Professional (NWI), Texas Physician Practice, Quality Improvement Award (2014), BTE (Bridges to excellence) physician practice. Certified Wellness Professional (CWP) obtained from National Wellness Institute. Certified Wellness Coach --trained from MaryBeth Baun/ Wellness-Without-Walls ENTERED medicine to further a strong interest in health and wellness, nutrition and physical activity and to promote health and provide thorough, compassionate, comprehensive care for patients. MD of course the most valuable.

2. DEMONSTRATED SUCCESS: Though I have been promoting lifestyle changes, including proper nutrition, physical activity, smoking cessation and achieving a healthy weight for many years, often my efforts were fruitless as ultimately, change is very difficult! Patients have busy and stressful lives and we live in what has become an "obesogenic" society. Inactivity, poor eating choices, stress and poor sleep have become seen as the "norm" and the individuals who emulate healthy behaviors seen as exceptional. I "discovered" wellness and Coaching with the help and guidance of Mary Beth Baun. She is now my mentor and has joined my organization as Wellness Development Administrator. With her help and that of my North Cypress Wellness Co-Founder and Coach, Glauce Farge, we have integrated a model of Coaching in to my office setting. I use motivational interviewing techniques and "brief interventions" in the course of regular visits. Patients who would like to improve their health, lose weight, feel better, etc. are referred to our Coach for a series of visits (weekly x 4, biweekly for 6 mos, followed by maintenance for 6 mos -- suggested schedule) to help realize their vision. We also use a "Coaching Corner" model where the Coach visits with the patient at the time of their usual medical care and helps with Action Plans and Goal Setting. We focus on small achievable and sustainable steps to increase self-efficacy and aim for incremental big changes over time. I have also piloted a Wellness Program at our 1600 bed community hospital and am extending my "Wellness Vision" to the employee/ workplace setting there. MaryBeth has been involved in this entire endeavor and her guidance/ mentoring/ input have been invaluable. Our team effort has allowed this project to be successful. We are looking to expand the wellness aspect with group "interactive Coaching seminars" in 2015 as well as free community presentations at the Hospital. The vision is that Wellness and Lifestyle Medicine will be so well integrated in to my "traditional" medical practice that it will be seen as the "norm". It's the way care should be! We hope with our community efforts to effect a culture change as we (as I love to call it these days) 'RIDE THE WELLNESS WAVE'. Good things are happening in our clinic and with our patients and outcomes -- significant and health changing weight loss, reduction of diabetic and hypertensive meds, prevention of diabetes in those at risk, improved overall well-being -- that I previously could not so nearly successfully obtain despite my best "expert" approach on the tallest "soapbox" I could find are finally realized now that I've put on my "coaching hat" and integrated Wellness Coaching in to my practice.

I am the CEO of my organization but also have the approval and acceptance of the CEO at our hospital as well as a "Champion" in the VP of Outpatient Services to promote wellness activities there and work towards a culture shift. I have proceeded with my office wellness interventions in a staged/ step-wise approach trying new things and seeing what's accepted and successful. I have an EHR Registry that allows me to track patients, biometrics, BP/ glucose, etc. My Wellness Team in the office now consists of 2 physicians, 1 dedicated Coach, 2 Coaches that are functioning as "Medical Assistants" with Coaching skills utilized in patient interviews (looking for an adequate title for these highly trained individuals as MA does not begin to describe the work they do), a nurse practitioner who has a strong Wellness focus and

MaryBeth Baun -- my Wellness Mentor and Wellness Development Administrator who has helped me to realize this vision. Together we are forging new ground with a model of innovation and integration that could be reproduced in primary care settings (of course, with physicians who share this passion and vision! As all should....!)

3. LEADERSHIP

I run a busy primary care medical practice and am leveraging my resources (which includes a patient base that can benefit from Wellness!) to improve health outcomes and well-being. I have personally volunteered the services of myself and staff to start the North Cypress Employee Wellness Program (hospital employee wellness program) and Lovett Wellness Warriors, a wellness program at a local elementary school. Neither institution had a program prior to my proposing the same. I am also scheduled to present to our physicians at NCMC on Lifestyle Medicine and then will be presenting to the employees and community (over the next 4 months as our first phase) on Healthy Lifestyles. This is to be provided without cost. Aim is to promote a culture of Wellness at the hospital and our surrounding community. I, myself, follow a very healthy, low fat diet with very little if any processed foods and maintain a healthy weight. I exercise regularly. I wear fitness trackers. I discuss all these things with my patients regularly and share what works for me. My passion and owning my own practice has allowed me to achieve my goals and successes. I have the freedom to care for patients how I choose -- I take the time to listen, I take the time to care. I promote healthy lifestyles and now have improved tools and vision to do that more effectively. As for others, I would say that do not give up on patients. So many of my colleagues struggle with the falsely perceived reality that patients won't change. They prescribe more and more pills and the obesity and chronic diseases get worse over time. Meet patients where they are at. Encourage small steps and healthy changes.

And THE COACHING MODEL IS INVALUABLE. MARYBETH BAUN HAS HELPED ME TO REALIZE THIS PERSONALLY AND IN MY PRACTICE AND I'VE EMBRACED IT AS A FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY CHANGES AND IMPROVED LIFESTYLE IN ALL THOSE THAT WE CAN "TOUCH" IN OUR WORK!

4. Our clinic model is definitely innovative. Having the Coaching philosophy and behavior change fundamentals as a basis for interactions with patients and a team concept within the office is invaluable. We understand many patients know what to do. We help them to do what they know!

We are now developing small group seminars in a coaching format and planning to also include a diabetes prevention program and chronic disease management program in our clinic for 2015. The goal is to encompass the continuum from healthy (to stay that way) to the acutely / chronically ill with multiple comorbidities to help them move in a positive direction on that continuum rather than towards failing health.

5. COMPELLING VISION:
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions. All of us must work together to bring about
change. The work of individual practitioners is invaluable. But as communities, we need to
come together to get a handle on this tragic health situation as the projected health of our children and grandchildren is to be worse than our own if we don't take action. I feel it is only with a culture change can we realize this vision. The biggest hurdle is adjusting the norm. It is NOT okay to be physically inactive, eat fast food or highly processed food that has no resemblance to anything Mother Nature created and be stressed to the max by our daily lives. The answer is simple: healthy eating, active living, not smoking, and maintaining emotional balance. Though it's simple, it's NOT EASY!

I think MaryBeth and I have a shared passion and we are working together with Coach Glauce and the rest of our team to integrate Healthy Lifestyles and Wellness Coaching in to a primary care model and the surrounding hospital / community in a thoroughly achievable and sustainable way.