Success Stories

It’s common as we age to feel burdened by our health, and to want someone who makes us feel heard and respected. For Wayne, being introduced to the Guardian Nurses Program through his wife’s insurance was the first step in improving the day-to-day management of his health.

“Having a guardian nurse gives me someone to talk to. I’ve been retired the last four years and don’t get out much,” he says, “these nurses are sensible and smart and can provide tremendous emotional support.”

When you participate in the Guardian Nurses program, you are paired with a Mobile Care Coordinator (MCC) certified nurse who provides support specifically designed to meet your needs. Wayne needed a doctor who would work with him closely to manage his symptoms while remaining compassionate and optimistic.

“Sometimes a doctor just isn’t the right fit. I’ve learned to speak up about what I need to find the right person,” he reflects, “my nurse helped me change doctors. I heard about a gentleman in my area. She set up an appointment with him, and he’s been wonderful.”

MCC Nurses are here to help you navigate the healthcare system, which can be complex and confusing. It is possible to manage a chronic condition for years, and still struggle to get the supplies needed on time. This was a frequent problem for Wayne: “One time, I had to go a month without my supplies because they never filled my order. My nurse helped set me up with a new company that fills my orders in a timely manner.”

Easy access to doctors and the supplies to manage your condition can relieve a huge amount of stress – and that is something everyone deserves.

“I would definitely recommend the Guardian Nurses program to friends and family,” enthuses Wayne, “not too many people I know have issues like me, but they deal with other health problems and need the same support.”

For you, support may look like having a nurse check in with you at home, assistance getting to and from appointments, or help understanding your diagnosis and treatment options. The Trust MCC nurses are here to help.

All Guardian Nurses services are voluntary, confidential, and are fully paid for by the Trust for PPO Plan participants and their covered dependents. Visit the Guardian Nurses page to learn more.

For Trust participant Jasmine Carey, giving new things a try is already a lifestyle choice. With her six-year-old daughter and spouse, she previously spent three years living in Europe and exploring more than 10 nations during her time abroad.

“We love to eat and try new foods and experience different cultures around the world,” said Jasmine. “I love meeting new people and am passionate about learning and growing.”

It’s this same desire to learn and grow that inspired her to sign up for Naturally Slim.

“I loved how simple it was to use on my phone. I was a little worried because I work full time and I am a busy mother and wife but found the short videos to be very refreshing and easy to watch on my break or lunch. I loved that I could pause the videos and resume them at a later time,” she added.

She also liked the blue bracelet that came with the welcome package – it served as a great reminder to her to slow down and taste every bit of food.

In this way, Jasmine found that the program has served as more of a teaching tool than a weight loss program, and that she was learning discipline, which is what she needed. “I think Naturally Slim is different because there are not false promises,” she remarked. “Many programs require you to almost starve yourself and you’re always hungry. This is teaching you the needed skills to make those healthy decisions on your own. I liked that I was not always hungry on this program.”

Through participating in Naturally Slim and adding in some physical activity, she lost about 15 pounds. But the biggest difference has come with her snacking habits.

The biggest change for me was that I stopped snacking at work and eating just because it was there, said Jasmine.

Naturally Slim is offered to Trust participants during specific enrollment periods throughout the year. This common-sense digital counseling program teaches participants simple skills to change when and how they eat, instead of what they eat.

“I’ve always had trouble having a healthy relationship with food,” said Lori O’Dell, a Trust participant who works as a checker at Sehome Village Haggen in Bellingham. “It’s been an ongoing thing in my life. I think this is true for a lot of us.” 

She started the Naturally Slim program (now Wondr Health^TM) with some uncertainty. Since she’d tried so many other things in the past, she didn’t have high expectations. But the program brought new, intuitive ideas about eating and movement into play.

“The principles are different from what I’ve tried before,” said Lori. “And the simplicity of this program is very refreshing. It’s very focused on paying attention to your body. It’s really simple principles, such as: ‘Don’t eat if you’re not hungry. It seems intuitive, but I think we all can use these kinds of reminders.”

She also appreciated how the program offers ways to deal with hunger between meal times and reminds participants to take time when eating.

“It’s helped me to be mindful of my own body and give myself hints to accomplish my goals,” she said. “Unlike with other programs, you don’t have to plan or count points.”

Naturally Slim also reviews things like food marketing and labeling and teaches participants how to choose healthier options. Participation also includes online forums and support, where you can learn what has worked for others. 

“I really like to work out so, they gave me a lot of great tips on exercise and how to view it in a good frame,” said Lori.

She also liked how specific some of the recommendations were.

“I’m a real ‘social eater,’ and eating out can be challenging. The program anticipated this; how did you know I had that problem? They take you through some simulations and offer different ways to deal with the situation or ways to go with it.”

These key learnings were successes for Lori on their own, but she also lost 20 pounds in the first four to five weeks, and she has continued putting the things she learned into practice. 

“I remind myself that I’m not hungry, or to slow down and chew slowly,” she said. “Sometimes I will even think, ‘Put your fork down!’ Follow-through is my biggest challenge. Maintaining this mindfulness is the work!”

Overall, Lori thinks the program is well worth it to anyone who wants to have a better relationship with food. “This is a great benefit,” she said.

Sometimes, life can put a lot of things on our shoulders at once. It’s a good thing Sound Support Health Coaching through the Trust is available to help support you as you navigate the challenges. For one participant, Health Coaching has been a way to check in and stay grounded while her personal life stretched her to the limit. Five years ago, Kim lost her husband. In the time since a family member has struggled with substance abuse. The stress compounded, and she had a minor stroke. Through it all, she kept up her calls with her Sound Support Health Coach. “I was working with a Health Coach before all the stress,” said Kim, “and it was great to have a coach there to check in and stay motivated as I created new ways to cope.” Kim's 15-minute calls took place every other month and she credits her coach for motivating her to continue on her stress reduction exercise plan of walking. She has a two-mile loop and another 4.3-mile loop she walks in her neighborhood – she knows the miles exactly because she always wears her fitness tracker, which she also earns HRA funding for. Walking became an outlet, and Kim has had the added benefit of improving her health. She was able to get off the cholesterol medication she had been taking and lost 50 pounds. As a way to celebrate how far she’s come, last April, Kim and a friend hiked much of the 518-mile Camino de Santiago in northwestern Spain. “We supplemented with other transportation, but backpacked 330 miles of the journey,” recounted Kim. She even wore her FitBit in Spain, so she will earn maximum HRA credit for her steps. Kim used her experience with Health Coaching to create a holistic, personal plan to move forward from traumatic events. She wants to remind her fellow participants to work on one thing at a time, so you get the full benefit, stressing that it’s important to follow through on the goals you set with your coach. “Each small decision to make a change adds up, and these changes are compounded over time,” she said. Each year, she takes her husband’s birthday and day of death off from work to go do something that reminds her to live life and live it well. Now, she’s getting ready for another big trip – this time she’s going skydiving.

With an upcoming family reunion in Guyana – her first visit home in five years – having someone on her side has proven to be the boost she needed. But her first call with her coach didn’t start with a focus on her health. “First, I wanted to talk about loneliness,” says Maureen. This normal feeling is something we all suffer from sometimes, especially when we’re far away from family and friends, and reaching out for support is so important.Maureen’s coach encouraged her to go out and do things and make plans with her local friends, especially during the darker months. Maureen was encouraged by this experience, and started taking her coach’s advice with diet and exercise, too. She’s decided to replace her evening snack with a green juice, for example, and is getting more exercise. “I’m not doing any weighing, but my clothes fit better,” she exclaims. Now that the trip is coming soon, Maureen is excited to show family members her best, healthy self. With Sound Support Health Coaching from the Trust, you can set your own goals for improving your diet, getting more exercise, losing weight, reducing stress – whatever your health goal. It’s all about what’s most important to you. Are you ready to take the first step?