All first-time clients make an initial assessment appointment. Please bring to this appointment your insurance card (if applicable), a photo ID, and any labwork or food/blood sugar logs you would like to share. The Nutrition Assessment is the first step in the Nutrition Care Process, a model created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics designed to improve the consistency and quality of individualized care for clients and the predictability of patient outcomes. We will meet in a private office setting.

Plan for your first visit to be at least 60 minutes, sometimes more depending on the topic and any questions you may have during the visit. Before an initial visit, a height and weight are measured and then a weight at each visit. This measurement is used as a tool to gauge progress and assess your risk for chronic disease. At this initial appointment, you can expect us to review:

• Lab values and referral form
• Anthropometric data
• Current health conditions
• Food diary, if applicable
• Medications and supplements

We will then work together to set some realistic goals. The RDN will make recommendations to assist you in reaching these goals by developing for you a personalized nutrition care plan based on your specific needs and lifestyle. A successful plan requires goal setting and accountability. Follow-up appointments are strongly encouraged. All visits and information shared during visits are held in strict confidence and follow HIPAA guidelines with respect to confidentiality. An authorization is obtained before any visits to give me permission to contact any providers part of your healthcare team as well as friends or family members with which you may wish for me to share information. Oftentimes I hear that patients are nervous to see a dietitian because they assume I’m going to tell them what they can’t have; my approach couldn’t be more the opposite—we talk about what foods to aim for, how to include more of them in your diet, how to fit foods you already consume and enjoy into your plan, and we do this in a gradual process. If I was to hand you a meal plan that was entirely different from your current one, the chances are that the plan will not be one you will stick with long-term. I am very intent on setting short-term, reachable goals you can achieve and master before moving onto the next; this leads to better, long-lasting outcomes.

How much contact you choose to have with me between visits is entirely up to you. Some prefer to do their own thing and wait until our next visit to discuss progress or any potential obstacles; others prefer to email me, reach out on social media, or even call me if they are in need of guidance, accountability, or just have questions or concerns before our next visit. My hope is that we have determined a personalized nutrition plan and set realistic goals that you are able to work on at your own pace and that you work toward those goals until we meet next and can discuss progress and/or any tweaks that need to be made to your nutrition plan.