Wendy McLaughlin

As Well-Being and Coaching Specialist, Wendy (she/her) provides 1:1 wellness coaching and facilitates workshops and trainings on various health & well-being topics. As part of the direct services team within Alice! Health Promotion, she works to empower students to leverage knowledge and resources to enhance their well-being.

Before she joined Columbia Health, Wendy was a Mentor Coach Evaluator at the Adapt Health Coach Training Program at Kresser Institute.

Wendy, who grew up in Alaska in a small fishing and timber community, honed her resourcefulness and creativity from a young age. After college, she served in the Peace Corps to facilitate capacity building and promote international peace. Wendy enjoys running, learning about compact dwellings, and volunteering with diverse organizations. She's also a devoted Dachshund enthusiast.

Education:

  • M.S. in Community Health Education, Western Illinois University
    • Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows Program in Community Development
  • B.S. in Sociology, Oregon State University

Certifications and Licensure:

  • Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES)
  • National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC)
  • Certified Health & Well-being Coach (CHWC), Wellcoaches School of Coaching
  • Adapt-Certified Functional Health Coach (A-CFHC), Kresser Institute
  • Lifestyle Medicine Coach, American College of Lifestyle Medicine
  • Diabetes Prevention Coach, National Diabetes Prevention Program

Professional Experience:

  • Mentor Coach Evaluator, Adapt Health Coach Training Program, Kresser Institute
  • Health & Wellness Coach, Lifeworks by Morneau Shepell
  • Health & Wellness Coach, Ceridian Lifeworks
  • Health Education Coordinator, Florida Department of Public Health 

Published Articles:

  • Cooksey, J. A., McLaughlin, W.A., Russinof, H., Martinez, L. I., Gordon, C. (2004). Active State-Level Engagement With the Nursing Shortage: A Study of Five Midwestern States. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 5(2). https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1527154404263893 
  • McLaughlin, W. A., Russinof, H., Cooksey, J. A. (2003). Strategies for Addressing the Nursing Shortage: Examples from Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, Rural Health Research Report, Vol. 15(1).
  • Clark, M. J., McLaughlin, W. A., Straub, L. A. (2002). Health Communication: A Strategy for Reaching Rural Residents. Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, Rural Health Research Report, Vol. 13(6). 

Awards and Honors:

  • John Snow, Inc. (JSI) Rural Health Research Scholarship Award

Languages Spoken:

  • English