The Food & Nutritional Services Department is dedicated to providing our patients with nutritious, tasty and attractive meals in compliance with physician orders. Patients are provided with two meal choices from appropriate menus, both written by a registered dietitian.

Nutrition care of our patients continues through the coordinated effort of our doctors, nurses, therapists and dietitians. Nutrition care may include adjusting the diet to include more protein and vitamins to improve slow healing wounds, or finding alternatives to make sure exhausted patients are able to eat enough to help them get well. The dietitian can be asked to determine the best tube feeding options to improve health if the patient is unable to eat. The family, patient and dietitian work together to make food and meal choice changes to reduce the risk of stroke or heart attack by maintaining a healthy weight, reducing the total amount of fat and cholesterol in the diet and moderating the total amount of salt.

Patients with specific nutritional needs dictated by disease receive individualized planning. For instance, patients with a new diagnosis of diabetes or celiac disease will spend several sessions with the dietitian planning changes to their lifestyle to manage their disease. Patients with diabetes learn to balance intake and medication. Patients with celiac disease learn how to read labels and select safe foods, and then to plan tasty menus with new choices.