StayWell Health Management will provide its wellness program participants with access to Coach Alba‘s interactive coaching platform. Under the deal between the two companies, users will get a highly personalized advice delivered to their phones via SMS. Coach Alba’s service is made to support individuals during those critical times when they say they struggle most to achieve their health goals.

“Smartphones and mobile devices have become ubiquitous in today’s society, which makes these devices the perfect vehicle for delivering timely information and support for healthy behavior change,” said Stinson. “While a live health coach can’t be with an individual 24/7, we can work with them to identify the hurdles and crucial moments that inhibit their behavior change efforts.”

StayWell is piloting Coach Alba with select clients, and it will be available as a program enhancement to clients across StayWell’s book of business in the coming months. The Coach Alba platform currently supports multiple health improvement goals including: weight loss, smoking cessation, lowering blood pressure, managing cholesterol, managing blood sugar, and stress management.

Using automated text messages, Coach Alba helps users identify when they’ll have unhealthy crucial moments and commits them to strategies for overcoming these barriers to successful change. In addition, users can also text “Live Coach” at any time they need additional support and the first available coach will contact the individual via text.