Presbyterian Health Plan, Inc.
P.O. Box 27489
Albuquerque, NM 87125-7489
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Fall 2016
MC
Miguel Romero is a home repair guru
and loves helping friends and family with
home improvement projects. He’s an
esteemed Vietnam combat veteran who is
an avid exerciser and card player.
Late last year, Miguel received a call
from Healthy Solutions Coach Consuelo
Montano, MPH. At the time, he weighed
220 pounds and his A1C levels and his
blood glucose levels were both high.
His habits included eating cookies with
coffee first thing in the morning, and
he remembers telling Consuelo that his
medications were “in his truck” as he was
not regularly taking them.
“He felt like he was healthy, but once we
started looking at things more closely
I think Miguel realized that he could
change some things to become healthier,”
Consuelo said.
He agreed to enroll in the Healthy
Solutions Program, a coaching service
offered by Presbyterian for members
with chronic health conditions. With the
encouragement of his health coach,
Miguel began to take his diabetes much
more seriously.
Miguel is a voracious learner. In addition
to completing regular calls with his
Healthy Solutions
helped me reach my goals
health coach, he has also completed
recommended Kitchen Creations classes
offered by Bernalillo County. He reports it
has been interesting, and he has learned
the effect of diabetes on the body.
“I just started with some small changes,”
Miguel said. “The healthier I felt the more
changes I wanted to make.”
He went from cycling outside to exercising
at the gym every day at 5 a.m. During
the last several months Miguel has been
regularly exercising and has done extensive
weight lifting. He has slowly built up to
12 miles on bicycle and is still improving.
Miguel is now much more mindful of the
amount of carbohydrates in foods, though
he does enjoy occasional treats as part of
a balanced lifestyle.
“I used to want a lot of junk food and
unhealthy drinks, but my health coach
really encouraged me to change,” Miguel
said. “Now that I feel better, I like to share
what I have learned with others.”
He has reached an initial goal of
205 pounds down from 220, and his
A1C levels have also improved. Miguel
can now boast of excellent cholesterol
readings, decreased medication use, and
overall improvement in labs.
Miguel wants to lose a bit more weight
and further reduce medication use. He
continues regular calls with his health
coach as he works toward that goal.
Story contributed by: Consuelo Montano,
MPH
Photo credit: Antonio Villa