Clinical Dietician

At St. Joseph’s Hospital Elliot Lake, the Registered Dietitian is a team member that works in a variety of patient care roles, including diabetes education program, inpatient care, outpatient care, nutrition education at the Oaks Treatment Center. The Registered Dietitian also works in consultation with the Food Service department on menu development, manages food software, staff training and education, quality assurance, as well as participating in interprofessional patient care teams and Hospital committees.

Why is Nutrition Important?

Eating well while in the Hospital can help you recover faster, maintain strength and function, and help decrease the length of your stay at SJGHEL. Patients who eat poorly while in hospital can become malnourished, which can decrease how they heal and recover and put them at risk for falls and loss of independence. A Dietitian can help you prevent and/or treat health conditions, like diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, swallowing disorders, malnutrition, food allergies, cancer and digestive concerns.

What if I have nutrition concerns during my Hospital stay?

The Registered Dietitian is available to all inpatient units at SJGHEL. If you have concerns about your nutrition in our Hospital, you can ask your Nurse or Physician for a referral to the Registered Dietitian.

What can you expect from the Dietitian?

The Registered Dietitian will assess your nutritional status and individual needs and develop a nutrition care plan to maintain or improve your nutrition status. They may order you a special diet, add additional food items to your trays, or order you oral nutrition supplements. If you cannot meet your needs using food, they may order specialized treatments like vitamin/mineral supplements, tube feeding or TPN (IV feeding).