Inpatient Services

The Food and Nutrition Department inpatient nutrition staff provide an initial review, assessment, and medical nutrition therapy to all hospitalized patients as determined by the standards of care. A dietitian is available daily for inpatient consults to ensure that patient care is consistent throughout their stay. Nutrition counseling is also done in a group setting on all of the psychiatric units, TCU and the addictions unit. All patient care activity is documented in the medical record. Dietitians are also available to attend patient care rounds or medical rounds and are a resource to the patients and staff on all nutrition or food service issues. The diet manual is available on every unit as a resource on special diets and nutrition care. A copy is also kept in the library at each facility.

Outpatient Services

Ambulatory Nutrition Services staff provide comprehensive clinical nutrition services within Cambridge Health Alliance. Upon referral by a PCP, Registered Dietitians with advanced training in high risk prenatal, pediatrics, and adult chronic disease provide medical nutrition therapy as part of the medical management of diseases or conditions. Many insurance companies cover nutrition therapy with a physician’s referral for the treatment of a disease or medical condition. Ambulatory Nutrition Services also provides limited nutrition education programs and acts as a resource in nutrition to other departments and community agencies.

Ambulatory Nutrition Services staff have particular expertise in:

• Prenatal nutrition
• Pediatric nutrition (feeding problems, failure to thrive, obesity, weight management)
• Heart Disease (High cholesterol, high blood pressure)
• Congestive heart failure
• Diabetes
• Kidney disease
• Oncology
• Eating disorders and obesity
• HIV/AIDS
• Geriatric Nutrition
• Gastrointestinal problems
  

Cambridge Health Alliance employs Registered Dietitians to provide both inpatient and outpatient consultations, Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), and to support the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.

All staff are licensed by the state of Massachusetts.