Nutrition Services

MetroHealth's Nutrition Services team includes registered dietitians, dietetic technicians and diet clerks who strive to ensure that all patients receive proper nourishment for optimal health and healing.

• Clinical dietitians work closely with you and your doctor to create a customized menu for your nutritional needs.
• If you are in our intensive care unit, our certified nutrition support specialists use their advanced training in critical care nutrition to provide the right nourishment your body needs to heal.
• If you are receiving chemotherapy or radiation treatment, a registered dietitian certified in oncology nutrition supervises your special cancer diet needs.

Every day, our highly trained food specialists analyze the nutritional needs of patients—from those who are critically ill to those who need routine checkups. We have programs for people who want to make lifestyle changes to stay healthy. Our registered dietitians highlight vital food changes for people with high blood pressure, and our pediatric dietitians help anxious parents cope with a child's food allergies.

Inpatient Nutrition Services

Our dietitians evaluate your nutritional needs and establish a nutrition plan with the goal of providing optimal nourishment. If you need help eating right to continue healing after discharge from the hospital, you'll be referred to our outpatient nutrition services.

Our inpatient team has extensive experience providing nutrition through alternative feeding methods for trauma patients and people who are unable to digest food because of blockage or disease. Our dietitians are highly trained in the science of parenteral nutrition (intravenous feeding) as well as trophic feeding (slow-dripping nutrition products via a tube).

For critically ill patients or those in intensive care, our nutritional specialists assess calorie, protein and fluid needs. Our dietitians work closely in concert with surgeons and physicians, adjusting a patient's dietary needs based on changes in medications or the latest lab report.

Outpatient Services

The staff in our outpatient clinic provides nutritional management and counseling about eating right and crafts diet plans for a variety of medical conditions, including:

• Celiac disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetes (including group classes held in our Diabetes Self-Management Program)
• Food allergies
• Heart failure
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Home enteral/tube feeding
• Liver and gastrointestinal disease
• Obesity and weight management
• Cancer
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Your Individual Diet Plan

When you come to our services for help, you will meet with one of our registered dietitians to talk about why your doctor referred you. We offer individual counseling sessions to assess your nutritional needs and provide the education you need to make healthy food choices.

Whether you're undergoing chemotherapy and need specialized advice, want more information about the DASH or other high blood pressure diet, or looking for a weight loss plan you can stick with, our dietitians provide you with the healthy recipes, menu plans and psychological support you need. We use sophisticated technology to create a diet plan that's right for you. With the MedGem® indirect calorimeter, we determine how many calories your body uses each day with a simple 5 to 10-minute breath test. By multiplying this measurement by an activity factor, the amount of calories needed to maintain your current weight is determined. One of our dietitians will use this figure to help assess the calories you need to gain or lose weight.

For outpatient services, you may require a referral from a physician. If you're under a managed-care plan, you might need a referral from your primary care provider.

See Related Locations below to schedule an appointment near you.