Health Coach/Tobacco Cessation Specialist Christine Lanasa Earns LVHN’s Proud Partner Award

The award is given to those employees who have exemplified LVHN Core Values toward colleagues, patients, and families.

Christie Lanasa, ED.S., RN, NBC-HWC, NCTTP, Health Coach and BeneQUIT specialist with BeneFIT Corporate Wellness, was recognized as a Proud Partner by Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN). The award is given to those employees who have exemplified LVHN Core Values (Compassion, Integrity, Collaboration, and Excellence) toward colleagues, patients, and families. She was nominated in the category of “compassion” by Sarah Engler, MCHES®, Manager, Health education and Wellness. Engler noted, “Christie consistently goes above and beyond to assist her (coaching) participants on their individual journey to better health. She provides positive, non-judgmental support, compassion, and encouragement to everyone she interacts with – colleagues and patients alike … Christie’s coaching participants have experienced amazing outcomes and improved health while working with her.”

In providing the nomination, Engler complied the following summary of Lanasa’s abilities and accomplishments:

What makes Christie unique, is that there is not a single event or story to highlight, she displays compassion to everyone, every day. As a Health Coach for LVHN Health Services, she has helped her coaching participants meet their goals around stress management, weight loss, increased physical activity, and much more. Christie leads the BeneQUIT Tobacco Cessation Program and has supported nearly 250 colleagues on their journey to reduce or quit tobacco use altogether. Collectively, the program’s participants have a 75% quit rate 30 days after program completion, which exceeds most other tobacco cessation program outcomes.

Christie is well connected to the participants and, goes out of her way to ensure they have her support and the necessary resources to meet the many challenges that arise. For example, a colleague enrolled in BeneQUIT and set a quit date with a plan to throw away their cigarettes on "trash day.” Christie marked her calendar and made sure to call them that morning, before work hours, to ensure they followed through. Christie offered encouragement through the entire process from throwing out the cigarettes to putting the trash can out to the curb. Christie is truly a compassionate partner in health and works collaboratively with all participants to take small steps, which ultimately lead to big changes over time. In the words of her coaching participants, “Christie has literally saved our lives. She motivated us to prioritize our health.”

Other recipients of the Proud Partner award include Magaly Muniz, Robin Christman, Marysue Rother, Kevin Cowell, Warren Furry, and Elizabeth (Betsie) Lewis.

The LVHN Reward and Recognition Committee, Colleague Ambassadors, and Colleague Relations Team at LVHN extended their congratulations and gratitude to all the Proud Partners.

BeneQUIT Tobacco Cessation Program

If you have employees trying to stop smoking cigarettes or e-cigarettes, the CDC recommends evidence based treatments including counseling and FDA-approved medications. Our program is a resource based on these methods that employers can use to support employees who want to quit. 

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