Three physical therapists, one athletic trainer, one exercise physiologist, one dietician. They have different backgrounds and a diverse range of experiences both personal and professional.
From left to right, Jodi Kuri, Lauren Blake, Lori Deshetler and Kenneth Kirby. Photo by Scott Cunningham
One thing they have in common: the belief that the best wellness plans focus on prevention, not treatment.
Another: They’re all wellness coaches at the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany. The wellness coaching program is part of the Health and Fitness Center at the Heit Center and is administered by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Healthy New Albany spoke with the coaches who have been with the center since its opening, along with coaches who recently joined, to learn more about their backgrounds, their passions, and their own favorite fitness activities.
Jodi Kuri
Training: Physical therapy
Alma Mater: Ohio University
Home: Lewis Center
Personal Fitness Activities: Boxing, yoga, running, strength training
Jodi Kuri manages the wellness coaching program and assessment team at the Heit Center, as well as the physical therapy program.
She has been a practicing physical therapist for 18 years and has focused on prevention for the last 10, though that area has increased significantly of late at OSU.
“This is the first time we’ve really taken a step in preventative medicine at Ohio State,” Kuri says.
The key, Kuri says, is to focus not on individual fitness activities, but on behavioral changes to create long-term health benefits.
“If you’re not … changing a long-term behavior that you’ve had, then your success rates are very low,” she says.
She recalls a physical therapy client who had long struggled with weight and body mass issues. She had him focus on small steps, helping him lose 25 pounds in three months – which put him in better physical shape, so he could step up his exercise regimen and lose even more weight.
Kuri’s seen firsthand the effect of behavioral change. Her family – husband Michael, daughter Sidney and son Alex – recently transitioned to better eating habits, and Michael alone has lost 50 pounds.
Lauren Blake
Training: Dietetics
Alma Mater: Miami University
Home: German Village
Personal Fitness Activities: Running, yoga, barre classes
Lauren Blake’s field may be diet and nutrition, but she wears a lot of hats within it: coaching at the center, doing a la carte nutrition consultations, teaching classes, putting on cooking demonstrations and working with local restaurants to put healthful items on their menus.
“Even though I worked in patient clinical nutrition, my focus has always been on wellness, weight loss and preventative nutrition,” Blake says. “That’s where my passion really is.”
She has worked in nutrition for five years and has been a practicing dietician for two.
Blake ran track and cross-country in college and began to notice early on how her nutrition affected her athletic performance, sparking her interest in dietetics.
One of her favorite ways to utilize her training is to incorporate nutritious ingredients into top-notch recipes, making healthful food delicious and approachable and making it easier for her and her husband, Richard, to eat right. She frequently posts recipes on her blog, www.wholelivinglauren.com.
“I always say I was a foodie before I was a dietician,” says Blake.
Blake points to behavioral change as a catalyst for good nutrition. It’s not as simple as telling someone what to eat, she says; a holistic plan needs to include proper diet, exercise, sleep, scheduling and stress levels.
Lori Deshetler
Training: Physical therapy
Alma Mater: University of Miami
Home: New Albany
Personal Fitness Activities: Group fitness, Pilates, TRX classes
Lori Deshetler knew for a long time that she wanted to go into medicine, but it wasn’t until she learned about the close relationship with clients it would entail that she realized physical therapy was right for her.
Deshetler has now been practicing for 23 years.
Getting patients back up to full function and improving their quality of life after an injury or other setback, helping them maximize their potential, makes it worthwhile for Deshetler.
“Even (though) there are still some things we can’t change, there’s a lot we can do that’s positive,” she says.
She has long pursued a process that focuses on prevention, going beyond the treatment of injuries, so wellness coaching makes perfect sense for her.
“You want to be active, not reactive, and so much in medicine is reactive,” says Deshetler.
OSU and the Heit Center are ahead of the game on developing proactive health care models, she says, and she looks forward to making further positive change in that direction.
“It’s been refreshing to go a different route with the coaching,” she says.
Deshetler and her husband, Don, have three sons: Cameron, Drew and Colby.
Kenneth Kirby
Training: Physical therapy
Alma Mater: Duke University
Home: Hilliard
Personal Fitness Activities: Cardio (elliptical, treadmill, rowing machine), strength training
Kenneth Kirby began practicing physical therapy in 2006.
But before he was a Blue Devil, he was a junior high student with a great physical therapist for a mentor.
Kirby’s interest in physical therapy “stems from bettering my own personal health and then using that knowledge … to assist others to make the same transition,” he says.
Kirby has noticed as health care has trended toward preventive medicine for some time, and he likes being part of a program that improves health and fitness levels and decreases medical expenses.
One of his best memories as a wellness coach was with a client who was able to make substantial changes to his situation, allowing him to reduce the medications he was taking.
“(The client) was so excited,” Kirby says. “It was such a wonderful experience to see him and get feedback from him as well as his physician.”
It’s crucial for wellness coaches to practice what they preach in order to gain clients’ trust, Kirby says. He works hard to stay in shape and – since he and his wife, Jenna, welcomed the birth of their now 16-month-old son, Tripp – he can relate to clients who need to balance their wellness with their other commitments.
New Coaches
Allan Sommer
Training: Exercise physiology
Alma Mater: The Ohio State University
Home: Clintonville
Personal Fitness Activities: Endurance running, trail running, cycling
Allan Sommer didn’t start out in exercise physiology; he found his way into the field after developing an interest over years of running, cycling and participating in triathlons.
He is now in his fourth year of practicing.
“Exercise physiology is an all-encompassing thing,” Sommer says. “You have to touch a little bit on nutrition, a little bit on injury prevention, a little bit on performance.”
Sommer understands the importance of prevention, but another of his pillars of personal wellness is moderation.
“You talk to people who are doing hundred-mile endurance running events (and think), ‘Is that healthy for you?’” he says.
Maybe not, he says, but neither is sitting on the couch with a bag of pork rinds, so striking the right balance is necessary.
And there are benefits to long-distance running events, Sommer says. He and his wife, Erin, participate in marathons and even longer runs.
The couple have a 7-month-old son, Callum.
The wellness coaches work with a wide variety of clients, and having an effect on the well-being of such a disparate group is a great experience for Sommer.
“The health care with this diverse population … gives you a very broad spectrum of people to influence,” he says.
Erik Hemenway
Training: Athlete training and physical therapy
Alma Mater: University of Evansville
Home: Blacklick
Personal Fitness Activities: Tennis, golf, free weights, swimming, functional training
Erik Hemenway got into physical therapy and athletic training from the other side.
“When I was in school, I got hurt playing basketball, and I went through physical therapy and worked with the physical therapist and athlete trainer,” Hemenway says. “Ever since then, I’ve had a passion … for the area.”
Having someone working with him through an injury showed him how rewarding helping people can be, Hemenway says.
“For me, having the interest in anatomy and physiology and subjects like that, this seemed like a perfect fit,” he says.
In his approximately eight years of practicing, he has gained experience working in both training and rehabilitation for professional baseball and golf performance.
He has also done a considerable amount of outreach to local high schools and their athletics programs.
“(Students) take their games pretty seriously … so trying to get them back to a safe level, where they’re not going to put themselves in danger … has always been rewarding,” he says.
The focus on training, rather than just physical fitness, at the center was what caught Hemenway’s attention, and he jumped at the chance to be part of it.
Hemenway lives with his wife, Jennifer.
Garth Bishop is managing editor. Feedback welcome at ssole@cityscenemediagroup.com.
