The Better Choices, Better Health program, sponsored by the Van Diest Medical Center, is led by health coaches and instructors Amy McCollough and Ashley Bubeck, helping participants do just that. Following a highly successful program last fall, new spring classes will be forming soon, offering not only practical evidence-based health and wellness information but also a welcoming, supportive environment where participants build friendships and encourage one another along the way.

Better Choices, Better Health is an Iowa Health and Human Services, evidence-based, small-group workshop designed to help adults and caregivers build practical skills for living well with ongoing health conditions. McCollough first learned about the program through an email from IHHS and immediately recognized its potential impact.

“I thought it sounded like a great idea, and I went to our managers here at VDMC to see if we could host the program. We thought it would be beneficial for the health of our communities,” McCollough said.

To lead the workshops, both McCollough and Bubeck first experienced the program as participants themselves before completing additional training.

-Daily Freeman Journal photo by Kolleen Taylor
This view shows both the emergency entrance, rehab entrance to the Van Diest Medical Center. The classes are held in the Van Diest Medical Center board room, located north of the rehabilitation center. It has an outside door access, and is used often for blood drives.

“So, it’s a train the trainer kind of thing,” McCollough explained. “We took the course itself and then we learned how to teach it.”

The six-week course meets for two hours each week and covers a wide range of practical topics. Participants learn strategies for symptom management, healthy eating, and appropriate exercise for strength and flexibility, along with relaxation and breathing techniques. The program also emphasizes effective communication with physicians, health care providers and family members.

“One of the big topics we discuss is food labels. That’s a huge topic for a lot of people and most of them find that interesting,” Bubeck said.

In addition to education, the instructors demonstrate movement techniques and approaches for pain relief and relaxation that participants can easily incorporate into daily life.

A key component of the program is action planning, where participants identify areas they want to work on and take small, achievable steps.

“That’s a big part of it too — learning to set small realistic goals and breaking down the steps for achieving those goals,” Bubeck explained.

“And if they are confident they can meet those goals, they will do it,” McCollough said. “We want participants to have success and once they do, they’ll get more confident and be able to do more things.”

According to the instructors, those goals vary widely and are tailored to everyone’s needs — whether related to nutrition, movement, or mental well-being.

“It’s not just about weight loss, everyone’s focus is different, based on what they want to work on personally,” Bubeck explained.

At the end of each class, participants are asked to share their goal for the coming week with the group, helping foster accountability and encouragement.

“The next week, they report on how they did during the week with their action plans,” McCollough said.

Through those weekly check-ins, a strong sense of camaraderie begins to develop among participants. Over time, the group often becomes a supportive network, cheering one another on and, in many cases, forming lasting friendships.

Former participant Loretta Moon, of Eagle Grove, said the supportive nature of the group made a meaningful difference in her experience.

“First of all, it was nonjudgemental. Everyone contributed,” Moon said.

“I would certainly recommend the course to others. The instructors were informative as they have also taken the class themselves. This session has helped me be more aware of the food and exercise and choices that I make in life,” she said.

With new sessions forming soon, Van Diest Medical Center’s Better Choices, Better Health program continues to offer more than education — it provides connection, encouragement, and practical tools that empower participants to take charge of their health. For many, the program is not just a class, but a community that supports lasting, positive change.

For more information on Better Choices, Better Health, contact Amy McCollough at 515-832-7730 or email amcollough@vandiestmc.org, or Ashley Bubeck at 515-832-7885 or email abubeck@vandiestmc.org. Participants do not need to be patients of Van Diest Medical Center.