Ernie Medina Jr.

Professor, Loma Linda University

Ernie Medina, Jr. graduated from Andrews University and went on to complete his Masters in Public Health (MPH)- Health Education and his Doctorate in Public Health (DrPH) – Preventive Care from Loma Linda University School of Public Health (LLUSPH) in 1993. For the next 21 years, he honed his wellness coaching skills working in the Health Education Department at Beaver Medical Group in Redlands, CA. There, he focused on weight loss, diabetes, smoking cessation, stress management, and employee wellness. He led small group classes and saw patients individually for wellness coaching sessions.

In 2014, Dr. Medina, Jr. came back to LLUSPH to join the faculty, teaching in the DrPH in Preventive Care program and the MPH in Health Education and Wellness Coaching program. Because of his involvement with SPH’s wellness coaching certification, Dr. Medina became the first nationally board-certified health and wellness coach through the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches at Loma Linda University. He currently gets to practice what he teaches by providing wellness coaching in various LLU employee wellness programs for diabetes and smoking cessation.