Judy MacEachern and Erica Horner

This week’s #MondayMotivation demonstrates the power of healthy choices.

March is Nutrition Month and what better way to learn about nutrition then by the Hospital’s Dietitian team.

Judy MacEachern and Erica Horner are members of the Clinical Dietician Team who take care of different departments and programs around the Hospital – the ICU, Stepdown, Surgery, Oncology, Paediatrics and the Paediatric Diabetes Program. They assist patients and families by showing and mentoring them on how nutrition affects their health.

Dieticians at the hospital act as teachers to give resources and knowledge to patients both inside the Hospital and in the Community.

“It’s great to see how knowledgeable patients and families become, and how involved they get with knowing their diets and what’s going to help them. The best part is knowing you played a role in that,” says Judy.

The dietician team closely monitors patients and assess whether they’re at risk of malnourishment, if they’re not eating enough, or if they didn’t finish their meal. The team uses that information to develop nutritional strategies tailored for each patient.

Erica says, “We do a lot of investigating to see what diets we can try with patients and figuring out what they can eat, and like to eat. If we can’t give patients good healthy food, we can’t set a good example for them.”

One way that educating patients and families makes the biggest impact is by reducing their anxiety. Learning that they have to change their routine and eating habits can be overwhelming. Educating patients and giving them resources eases that anxiety and can sometimes be a fun learning experience.

Everyone needs different types of foods and diets for their own optimum nutrition levels and recovery. The Dietician Team tailors their food choices based on each patient to ensure they are getting the best meal plan and resources, resulting in a faster recovery, and the best possible quality of patient care and experience.