The Clinical Nutrition department provides comprehensive nutrition care and counseling by registered dietitians and nurses using food management and lifestyle strategies to optimize clinical outcomes for our patients. Our Diabetes Education programs provide services to those individuals diagnosed with Type 1, Type 2 or Gestational Diabetes.
Clinical nutrition services
Our areas of expertise include nutrition care for cancer, eating disorders, weight management, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sports nutrition and food allergies. We do full assessments of current lifestyle, food preferences, budgets, time constraints, physical limitations, inability to make nutrition changes and more.
Registered Dietitians at St. Peter's Health provide individual inpatient and outpatient counseling for a variety of nutrition needs and conditions, including:
- weight control
- diabetes
- high cholesterol
- hypertension
- eating disorders
- other situations requiring a modified eating plan to promote health
- cancer care
- food allergies
Referral information
Our staff works both one on one with patients and through group classes to best meet client needs for behavior change, knowledge base, goal setting and lifestyle management of their nutrition care. Physician referrals are needed for one on one referrals, but staff also will do group classes and presentations for community groups.
Diabetes Education
St. Peter’s Health Diabetes Self Management Education/Support program provides services to those individuals diagnosed with Type 1, Type 2 or Gestational Diabetes. A registered nurse, diabetes educators and registered dietitians provide people who have diabetes with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively self–manage this condition and maintain optimum health with diabetes.
The following areas are covered:
- diabetes: what it is, how it develops, how it is managed
- nutritional therapy for managing diabetes
- medications used to manage diabetes, how they work, and side effects
- physical activity
- self–monitoring of blood sugar, continuous glucose monitoring and how to use the results
- prevention and management of long term and short term complications
- foot care
- coping and adjustment to diabetes
- problem solving skills
- stress management
- behavior change strategies
St. Peter’s Health diabetes patient education program has been awarded recognition by the American Diabetes Association in accordance with the national standards for Diabetes Patient Education Programs.
- Community Education
- health fairs and other community education efforts
- community resource for schools, physician offices, employers, long term care centers, and special needs populations regarding nutrition
- monthly Diabetes Support Group meetings (see schedule)
Our Inch-by-Inch program, a 12-month nutrition and physical activity course focuses on the prevention of diabetes and heart disease through lifestyle change, has achieved Full Recognition status with the CDC.