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By Christine Graf<\/p>\nBy Christine Graf<\/p>\n
At Saratoga Hospital, registered dietitians (RD) serve as an integral part of the treatment team. Credentialed healthcare professionals, dietitians apply their knowledge of nutrition to develop individualized dietary strategies, ones designed to meet the unique needs of each patient.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Lisa Hodgson, the hospital\u2019s clinical nutrition manager, is responsible for a staff of 16 registered dietitians. \u201cI oversee a team of dietitians\u2014an inpatient team, and an outpatient team that works in primary care. We also have dietitians that work in our bariatric surgery and weight loss program as well as in our endocrinology office,\u201d said Hodgson, a clinical registered dietitian, certified dietitian nutritionist, and certified diabetes educator who has been working at Saratoga Hospital for 17 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On the inpatient side, RDs work with hospitalized patients with conditions that may be impacted by their nutrition status. Inpatient dietitians are also responsible for patients who require tube feedings or other more complex interventions.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span>On the outpatient side, dietitians work with patients referred by their primary care doctors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMaybe you have newly diagnosed diabetes or high blood pressure or high cholesterol or whatever it may be,\u201d said Hodgson, noting that the hospital has dietitians in all nine of its primary care offices to work with referred patients.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Dietitians working in the hospital\u2019s bariatric center work with patients who are candidates for bariatric surgery.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA person has to go through a process to become a patient of the practice, and they would see the dietician as part of that program,\u201d said Hodgson. \u201cThat would be before surgery, after surgery, and annually from there on out.\u201d<\/p>\n The dietitians working with patients in the hospital\u2019s endocrinology practice have additional certification in diabetes education. They also specialize in working with patients with thyroid conditions. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Patients must receive a referral in order to utilize nutrition services. \u201cThat is separate from an insurance referral,\u201d explained Hodgson.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to Hodgson, some patients are more receptive than others to following the nutritional guidance provided by their dietician.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople react every way you can imagine. It depends on the person and the day, but I think a lot of the attitude is set by the way the provider presents it to the person. So, if it\u2019s presented as an important part of preventing disease or helping you live a better, longer life, that makes a big difference. It\u2019s helpful if the dietician is seen as being part of the healthcare team,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also don\u2019t pressure anyone to do something they aren\u2019t ready to do,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When asked about basic nutrition guidelines for those interested in eating a healthy diet, Hodgson recommends reading up on \u201cThe Healthy Plate,\u201d a guide that can be used to create healthy, balanced meals. A typical Healthy Plate diet includes 50 percent fruits and vegetables, 25 percent whole grains, and 25 percent protein.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we work with patients, we work with evidence-based practice, individualizing the general recommendations to meet the needs of each person,\u201d she said. \u201cWe talk about eating more fruits and vegetables and whole grains, eating smaller portions throughout the day, watching sodium intake, drinking more water, and moving more– all of those general guidelines that you hear about.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Her team of registered dietitians develops plans that are highly individualized to the needs of each patient.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is critical,\u201d said Hodgson. \u201cBecause not everyone is cookie cutter in terms of how they are living their lives. Our approach is to set up small goals that are achievable and measurable to people and to help support them as they try to reach those goals.\u201d<\/p>\n Hodgson cautions people against getting their nutritional information from Tik Tok or other social media platforms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of misinformation out there that people are seeing on Tik Tok. If something sounds too good to be true it probably is,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n Hodgson also stressed that it is important for people to understand the difference between a RD and a nutritionist. Unlike nutritionists, RDs have earned degrees in the field (entry-level practice as an RD now requires a master\u2019s degree), passed certification exams, and must complete continuing education requirements.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnyone can call themselves a nutritionist.\u00a0 <\/span>When you get your information from a registered dietician, you are working with someone who has had education and training.\u201d<\/p>\n As part of their work, dietitians look at more than just medical history. When conducting assessments, they ask questions intended to determine a person\u2019s living situation.<\/p>\n \u201cI can talk to somebody about eating fruits and vegetables all day long, and if they don\u2019t have a safe roof over their head and food to put on their table for their children, it doesn\u2019t matter what I\u2019m telling them,\u201d Hodgson said.<\/p>\n For that reason, she and her team direct patients to local food pantries and other resources to help fill those gaps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to Hodgson, she and her team also work with individuals who are prescribed weight loss medications.<\/p>\n \u201cThe weight loss medications have been out there for a long time, and some providers have been reluctant to use them. We believe they are one tool in the toolbox. They have been a great way for people to jump-start their weight loss efforts for those who have struggled with their weight for years.\u201d<\/p>\n For those taking medications, dietitians work with them to develop healthy eating habits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe unfortunate part of reliance on these medications is that if you do not learn how to eat differently, you may gain the weight back\u00a0 <\/span>if you stop taking the medication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Christine Graf At Saratoga Hospital, registered dietitians (RD) serve as an integral part of the treatment team. Credentialed healthcare professionals, dietitians apply their knowledge of nutrition to develop individualized dietary strategies, ones designed to meet the unique needs of each patient.\u00a0 Lisa Hodgson, the hospital\u2019s clinical nutrition manager, is responsible for a staff of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":40068,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"\r\n