WWU students volunteer as coaches in Stepping Stones program

Three Western Washington University students have volunteered as transitional coaches as part of Whatcom County’s Stepping Stones Program. The program, which is funded by Medicare and used by Medicare patients, is aimed at reducing the cost of Medicare by preventing unnecessary hospital readmissions.

Whatcom County’s Stepping Stones program is sponsored by PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center and WWU’s Critical Junctures Institute.

The students, all Psychology majors, are Derek Paul of Spokane, Allison Carroll of Minneapolis, Minn., and Morgan Rumble of Ridgefield. They were introduced to the program by WWU Professor of Psychology Ronald Kleinknecht during a senior seminar in abnormal psychology last fall.

As transitional coaches, volunteers work between five and seven hours a week to reduce patient re-admissions to the hospital by helping them develop strategies to become independent and confident in their ability to take care of their own needs – from taking certain prescribed medications to being able to contact their doctors or physicians.

The relationship between coaches and patients is divided into five contacts; the initial meeting at the hospital, a visit to the patient’s home, and three follow-up calls, all of which happen over the course of four weeks.
Kleinknecht said he was first contacted by Bill Mahoney, research director for the Stepping Stones Program, who wanted to see if any of Kleinknecht’s students would volunteer. Kleinknecht saw this as an opportunity to connect students to the community through their class.

“Universities are for serving the community,” Kleinknecht said. “I am very excited to facilitate a connection between student’s classes and the community.”

The volunteering students were given independent research credits as part of WWU’s Psychology program requirement.

Karla Hall, head transition coach of the Stepping Stones Program in Whatcom County, said the purpose of transition coaches are to empower the patients and engage them to take manage their health.

“Patients are sometimes not accustomed to managing their own needs – they want someone else to do it,” Hall said. “Coaches work with patients to give them the tools necessary to help themselves, whether it’s labeling their medications in a way they can understand or knowing who to call to get their questions answered.”

Before becoming a transitional coach, volunteers must first complete 10-12 hours of training.

Paul, who has recently had to discontinue his volunteer work as a transitional coach due to his leaving for medical school, said the program was a perfect opportunity to gain relevant experience as a pre-med student and Psychology major.

“During medical school interviews, I was able to use my experiences [in the program] to illustrate the need for preventive care and continuity of care,” Paul said. “Any students planning on a career involving patient interaction can benefit from the experience of transition coaching.”

In the future, Hall and Kleinknecht both said they would like to see more volunteers from WWU, ultimately leading to a formalized relationship between WWU and the hospital.

“Stepping Stones is a great opportunity for certain students to use their academic experience and knowledge to serve the community,” Kleinknecht said. “Their experiences can help them define and narrow potential career paths.”

For more information, contact Kleinknecht at (360) 650-3944 or ronald.kleinknecht@wwu.edu.