Health Coach United Health Group

[LadyMonteCarlo]

I applied for a position with WellMed / Optum via United Health Group in Texas. The advertised position is for Health Coach. Perhaps I have been a nurse for way too long, but to me a health coach assists chronically ill patients manage their disease by various means on a one on one basis. The advertisement said pretty much the same thing.

Well, had my phone interview and i must say the recruiter was quite evasive. I asked if the health coach functioned as a separate entity in the office. (No their in the mix.) I asked if I would be taking all patient calls. (Yes) I asked if I would be expected to room patients (No, the CMA does that.) I asked if I would be handling all refills, test results, etc. (Yes) I said this sounds like a regular office nurse position. (No, it is a different posiiton.) Uh, what?

Call me cynical, but it sure seems they have put a fancy label on a regular office nurse position. Now, that I think about it I guess I am a health coach because this is what I do everyday as a office nurse. No place in the ad does it describe office nurse duties, but focuses on the teaching / coaching aspect only. I consider this to be very deceptive, IMO.

Anyway, the recruiter said she would move this forward and I should get a call from the hiring manager. I have no intention of leaving my current position for the same position elsewhere, but I am interested if they possibly will prove this position is what they are advertising.

[been there,done it]

Bear in mind that UHG is a premier employer with great benefits. Whatever the position is, getting your foot in that door is an excellent opportunity.

The evasive feeling you were picking up on, was related to the REAL reason for the "health coach" position. You will be reporting sentinel events, such as back xrays, knee pain, in order to provide an opportunity for the insurance company to intervene.