Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Happy Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day- by guest blogger, Rebecca Bradley, MS, RD, LDN, CDE, Clinical Nutrition Manager/Renal Nutrition Specialist, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center


Rebecca Bradley, MS, RD, LDN, CDE, Clinical Nutrition Manager/Renal Nutrition Specialist, Lahey Hospital & Medical Center

As we observe National Nutrition Month in March, one day is set aside to particularly celebrate the contributions of our dedicated team of registered dietitians.  I am delighted to celebrate my good fortune to have the best team of RDs.  They are the best because they work as a team to support each other in achieving the goal of providing nutrition care to our patients and our colleagues.  The dietitians have a shared set of skills but also individually specialize in different areas of practice.  Meet these dedicated people:

Susan Schaefer has worked at Lahey for nearly 30 years.  She has been a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician for many years, caring for patients who need to be fed intravenously.  She shares her expertise by teaching physician and pharmacy colleagues, as well as precepting dietetic interns
Elaine Lyons is an inpatient dietitian who works with med-surg and orthopedic patients, and is an expert in providing education to her patients who need special diets.  She holds a Certificate in Weight Management from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Katherine Lundy is a certified oncology specialist and spends much of her time helping patients maintain good nutrition through treatment for cancer. 

Taylor Gillis is another Certified Nutrition Support Clinician who supports the ICU and CCU, as well as complex surgical patients. 

Olivia Gross is our “newly minted” dietitian, arriving last month from her dietetic internship at Duke University and undergraduate studies at the University of Vermont.  She is full of enthusiasm to begin her career providing care to neurology and cardiac patients.  She is supporting the Fit-Nut program and will join the ALS clinic team.

Sara O’Brien is also a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician who cares for  complex patients in the MICU, as well as hepatobiliary patients who often require nutrition support as they experience disorders of digestion.  Sara recently became one of the first Advanced Practice Registered Dietitians, successfully completing a rigorous examination.  As a result of her achievement, she was invited to  participate on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics exam writing committee.  She is also an Epic superuser….in itself no small feat.

Taylor Pierce is a multi-tasking expert.  He covers surgical cardiology and med-surg patients, supports the HealthTouch program which allows successful room service for our patients, and is an active member of the Lahey Engagement Team. 

Kristin Fu, our fourth Certified Nutrition Support Clinician, supports the Solid Organ Transplant service, preparing patients for liver or kidney transplants, and helping them recover their health after surgery.  She is accepted as a speaker at the National Association of Transplant Coordinators meeting this coming summer.

Holly Brassett is an outpatient nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Educator.  She sees a variety of patients in her practice, providing ongoing Medical Nutrition Therapy, and teaches classes for the Diabetes Self-Management Education program.

Cindy Neels is an outpatient nutritionist and has particular expertise in weight management and treatment of cardiac diseases.  She has earned a Certificate in Adult Weight Management.

Margie Ullmann-Weil provides expert Medical Nutrition Therapy for outpatients with celiac disease and other gastrointestinal illnesses. 

I have the privilege of providing outpatient care for people with diabetes as a Certified Diabetes Educator, as well as patients with chronic kidney disease.  My first 20 years as a Lahey colleague were spent working in the hemodialysis unit, and the last 17 as clinical nutrition manager, a job with an infinite variety of challenges and rewards.

Our Director of Food and Nutrition Services is Linda Clay, MPH, RD who provides oversight and is always supportive of all activities that provide professional growth for the RDs.  The importance of having these opportunities cannot be overstated.

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Thank you Becky and all registered Dietitians at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center!. Happy Registered Dietitians Nutritionist Day to all Registered Dietitians! 

Thank you for making everyday a better day for all those we served!

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