Experience

Peterborough Regional Health Centre

• Canada
• Hospitals and Health Care
• 700 & Above Employee

• Registered Dietitian

  • Nov 2016 - Present

  Inpatient dietitian responsible for acute medical and mental health wards



Peterborough Public Health

• Canada
• Government Administration
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Public Health Dietitian

  • Aug 2019 - Aug 2020

   Involved in and work collaboratively with other Ontario dietitians through “Ontario Dietitians in Public Health” (ODPH). Sit on 2 workgroups: School Health and Cannabis Edibles. Work involved updating the SNP guidelines and PPM 150  Involved in the “Food For Kids Peterborough” Program  Support teachers in the dissemination of healthy eating messages that is part of the curriculum for each grade. Provide resources to teach healthy eating, and additional support to schools upon request… Show more  Involved in and work collaboratively with other Ontario dietitians through “Ontario Dietitians in Public Health” (ODPH). Sit on 2 workgroups: School Health and Cannabis Edibles. Work involved updating the SNP guidelines and PPM 150  Involved in the “Food For Kids Peterborough” Program  Support teachers in the dissemination of healthy eating messages that is part of the curriculum for each grade. Provide resources to teach healthy eating, and additional support to schools upon request  Support the other public health dietitians in their work  Implement program planning and evaluation  Conduct operational planning, involving budget, timelines and deliverables to achieve the year’s desired goals  Collaborate regularly with other staff members Show less



PeterboroughRegional Renal Program

• Registered Dietitian

  • Oct 2018 - Jul 2019

   Provide nutrition counselling and education to clients with chronic kidney disease  Responsible for doing nutrition assessments and intervention on in-patients who are on dialysis, and follow them throughout their admissions  See hemodialysis patients during their treatments and develop individualized nutrition recommendations based on monthly bloodwork, including the need for IDPN



North Durham Family Health Team

• Registered Dietitian

  • Jun 2015 - Nov 2016



Community Care City of Kawartha Lakes

• Registered Dietitian

  • May 2014 - Apr 2015

  Lindsay, Ontario Individual Counselling • Provide individual counselling for all clients of the CHC as well as others living in the City of Kawartha Lakes who do not have access to a dietitian • Clients for issues including weight loss/gain, heart health, allergies, GI issues, food security, pediatrics, general healthy eating, etc • Run monthly "Dietitian clinic" at Sir Sanford Fleming College to provide easy access to students to come and get their questions answered • Working with a local… Show more Individual Counselling • Provide individual counselling for all clients of the CHC as well as others living in the City of Kawartha Lakes who do not have access to a dietitian • Clients for issues including weight loss/gain, heart health, allergies, GI issues, food security, pediatrics, general healthy eating, etc • Run monthly "Dietitian clinic" at Sir Sanford Fleming College to provide easy access to students to come and get their questions answered • Working with a local retirement home to: Ensure the menus meet Canada's Food Guide recommendations, individual counselling with residents, staff and resident education sessions on food and nutrition topics, and work with the kitchen to improve menus and kitchen practices Good Food Box • Responsible for coordinating the monthly program including processing orders, ordering produce, and organizing the monthly packing/pick-up day Community Presentations • Present at various programs/community agencies throughout the year Community Programs • Cooking for One (teaching widowers that they can still make healthy/delicious food for one person • Little Chefs of CKL (summer camp program for kids to teach them about healthy eating, cooking skills, eating local and growing their own food) • Community Garden Cooking Class (teach participants how to use/cook/can the produce grown in the garden) • Craving Change workshops offered throughout the year • "Mom's Kitchen" Collective kitchen (teaching single moms with limited incomes how to prepare healthy meals on a budget) Show less



University of Guelph

• Canada
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA)

  • Sep 2012 - Apr 2014

  Guelph, ON  Expanded communication and teaching skills through interaction with students, both online and in-person  Responsible for marking major assignments, marking midterms and exams, entering grades into online school system, holding office hours, monitoring discussion boards, and answering questions  GTA for three different classes: “Nutrition in Society: Throughout the Life cycle (2nd year course)”, “Research Methods (3rd year course)” & “Clinical Nutrition 1 (3rd… Show more  Expanded communication and teaching skills through interaction with students, both online and in-person  Responsible for marking major assignments, marking midterms and exams, entering grades into online school system, holding office hours, monitoring discussion boards, and answering questions  GTA for three different classes: “Nutrition in Society: Throughout the Life cycle (2nd year course)”, “Research Methods (3rd year course)” & “Clinical Nutrition 1 (3rd year course) Show less



Fairhaven Long-Term Care Home

• Dietary Aide

  • May 2011 - Aug 2012

  Peterborough, ON  Expanded communication and collaboration skills with all members of the health care team (RN, PSW, kitchen staff, managers, residents)  Responsibility of serving food of the appropriate texture and fluid consistency to residents, taking into account a variety of conditions, including diabetes, dysphagia, mobility/feeding issues, dementia



Providence Care

• Canada
• Hospitals and Health Care
• 400 - 500 Employee

• Dietetic Intern

  • Jun 2012 - Jun 2012

  Kingston, ON  4-week rotation  Completed daily audits to ensure proper food safety and food handling/storage  Completed tray audits to determine ways to improve food costs, and surveyed cafeteria process at Providence Care to determine ways to increase food sales  Worked independently in role of food service manager to ensure flow of service rolled out smoothly, and patients received the right meal/restrictions  Worked with in-patient RD at MHS to assess client health and… Show more  4-week rotation  Completed daily audits to ensure proper food safety and food handling/storage  Completed tray audits to determine ways to improve food costs, and surveyed cafeteria process at Providence Care to determine ways to increase food sales  Worked independently in role of food service manager to ensure flow of service rolled out smoothly, and patients received the right meal/restrictions  Worked with in-patient RD at MHS to assess client health and diet history, and create nutrition therapy plans in accordance with patient needs/restrictions and preferences  Developed a plan to improve recycling process at both sites to save money and reduce waste  Conducted HACCP audit on flow of food to ensure that critical control points were properly addressed to prevent food borne illness Show less



Peterborough Regional Health Centre

• Canada
• Hospitals and Health Care
• 700 & Above Employee

• Dietetic Intern

  • May 2012 - May 2012

  Peterborough, ON  4-week rotation  Staff relief: Responsible for 2 acute care floors in hospital, as well as regional stroke unit  Completed 8-10 assessments daily; initiated 7 tube feeds in 5 days and monitored them independently  Regular collaboration with other health professionals regarding the patient’s care  Worked with the RD to assess patients and determine specific nutrition interventions required, prioritized patients based on diagnosis, assessed need for… Show more  4-week rotation  Staff relief: Responsible for 2 acute care floors in hospital, as well as regional stroke unit  Completed 8-10 assessments daily; initiated 7 tube feeds in 5 days and monitored them independently  Regular collaboration with other health professionals regarding the patient’s care  Worked with the RD to assess patients and determine specific nutrition interventions required, prioritized patients based on diagnosis, assessed need for supplementation/changes to current nutrition therapy plan  Identified key factors that would influence nutrition therapy decisions, and monitored accordingly  Completed regular follow-ups to assess current nutrition care plan, making changes as needed  Regular communication with other health care professionals (ex. MD, RN, social work) to discuss patient progress  Regular documentation completed in patient chart  Worked with patient when able to discuss nutrition therapy needs, and willingness to make adjustments  Able to follow some clients from admission to discharge and witness the progression of their diet, and the role nutrition therapy plays on improving health status Show less



Peterborough County-City Health Unit

• Hospitals and Health Care
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Dietetic Intern

  • Mar 2012 - Apr 2012

  Peterborough, ON  Appeared on local television station to discuss the importance of making lower sodium choices, and how to read food labels to find lower sodium options  Helped RD lead a grocery store tour; went to each section of the perimeter of the store, and discussed important components of each food types, what to look for, and what healthier options are available (ex. Dairy – lower fat and lower sugar options). Increased awareness of the public misconceptions of what constitutes “healthy”… Show more  Appeared on local television station to discuss the importance of making lower sodium choices, and how to read food labels to find lower sodium options  Helped RD lead a grocery store tour; went to each section of the perimeter of the store, and discussed important components of each food types, what to look for, and what healthier options are available (ex. Dairy – lower fat and lower sugar options). Increased awareness of the public misconceptions of what constitutes “healthy” foods  Completed several phone counselling sessions with clients calling with general questions to the health unit (ex. is coconut a nut? Are the health claims regarding coconut oil true?)  Participated and was exposed to the many community programs delivered in the Peterborough and surrounding area to observe the importance and impact to member of the community  Created 2 new resources to include on the PCCHU website for access to community members (probiotics and apps and nutrition), using “plain language”  Worked with RD to lead a Body Image class specific to Aboriginal youth using an existing presentation that was adapted to fit the needs of the diverse group  Updated the “Peterborough RD resources Inventory” available at health professional offices and online, which includes contact information of all RD services available in the Peterborough area for consumers to contact as needed  Planned and conducted several presentations regarding healthy eating and nutrition among different populations (elderly women and cholesterol, body image and Aboriginal, adults and grocery store tour)  Organized and planned a grocery store display where consumers had the chance to compare high sodium and low sodium muffins and salsa to raise awareness about making healthy choices and the prevention of disease Show less



PRHC - Intensive Care Unit

• Dietetic Intern

  • Feb 2012 - Mar 2012

  Peterborough, ON  Worked with the RD to assess patients and determine their specific nutritional requirements, feeding route, need for supplementation and certain factors to keep an eye on  Identified key factors that would influence nutrition therapy decisions, and monitored accordingly  Completed regular follow-ups to assess current nutrition care plan, making changes as needed  Regular communication with other health care professionals (ex. MD, RN, social work) to discuss patient progress … Show more  Worked with the RD to assess patients and determine their specific nutritional requirements, feeding route, need for supplementation and certain factors to keep an eye on  Identified key factors that would influence nutrition therapy decisions, and monitored accordingly  Completed regular follow-ups to assess current nutrition care plan, making changes as needed  Regular communication with other health care professionals (ex. MD, RN, social work) to discuss patient progress  Regular documentation completed in patient chart  Worked with patient when able to discuss nutrition therapy needs, and willingness to make adjustments Show less



Renal Satellite

• Dietetic Intern

  • Feb 2012 - Feb 2012

  Peterborough, ON  Worked independently in in-patient setting assessing patient specific nutritional needs based on renal function and lab work, determined need for supplementation, and addressed key factors to keep an eye on  Regular collaboration with health care team regarding health status and progress, concerns, etc  Followed a patient in-depth, and presented this “case” to RD’s and other health professionals, documenting the nutrition care process, things to look for, decisions made, including… Show more  Worked independently in in-patient setting assessing patient specific nutritional needs based on renal function and lab work, determined need for supplementation, and addressed key factors to keep an eye on  Regular collaboration with health care team regarding health status and progress, concerns, etc  Followed a patient in-depth, and presented this “case” to RD’s and other health professionals, documenting the nutrition care process, things to look for, decisions made, including rationale, and final outcomes  Worked independently in out-patient setting, completing regular follow-ups with patients undergoing dialysis and completing full assessments on new patients at the out-patient clinic  Taught out-patients the basics of a renal diet, and simple procedures to follow; outlined specific goals with the client  Triaged charts for next day’s appointments to determine which patients did/did not need to be seen by the RD based on blood work, renal history, weight, medications, current diet plan, and length of time since the patient was last seen by the RD Show less



Ross Memorial Hospital - Acute Care

• Dietetic Intern

  • Jan 2012 - Jan 2012

  Lindsay, ON  Worked with the RD to assess patients and determine specific nutrition interventions required, prioritized patients based on diagnosis, assessed need for supplementation/changes to current nutrition therapy plan  Identified key factors that would influence nutrition therapy decisions, and monitored accordingly  Completed regular follow-ups to assess current nutrition care plan, making changes as needed  Regular communication with other health care professionals (ex. MD, RN, social… Show more  Worked with the RD to assess patients and determine specific nutrition interventions required, prioritized patients based on diagnosis, assessed need for supplementation/changes to current nutrition therapy plan  Identified key factors that would influence nutrition therapy decisions, and monitored accordingly  Completed regular follow-ups to assess current nutrition care plan, making changes as needed  Regular communication with other health care professionals (ex. MD, RN, social work) to discuss patient progress  Regular documentation completed in patient chart  Worked with patient when able to discuss nutrition therapy needs, and willingness to make adjustments  Able to follow some clients from admission to discharge and witness the progression of their diet, and the role nutrition therapy plays on improving health status Show less



Brookdale Clinic Family Health Team

• Dietetic Intern

  • Dec 2011 - Dec 2011

  Peterborough, ON  Independently assessed client history, diet history, readiness to change, barriers to change, reasons for appointment. Made recommendations regarding diet therapy, discussed strategies for success, and was involved in problem solving with client. Documented nutrition care process in patient electronic health records



The Peterborough Clinic

• Canada
• Medical Practices
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Dietetic Intern

  • Nov 2011 - Nov 2011

  Peterborough, ON  3-week rotation  Completed background research regarding the use of phytosterols in lowering cholesterol in patients with dyslipidemia, their efficacy and safety, function, and made recommendations for RD’s in the community for their use  Evaluated the literature regarding the use of probiotics throughout the lifecycle and in the treatment of certain conditions; presented findings to health professionals in the community regarding their use and efficacy



Centennial Place Long-Term care Home

• Dietetic Intern

  • Oct 2011 - Nov 2011

  Millbrook, ON  4-week rotation  Worked with RD to complete quarterly follow-ups, address resident nursing staff concerns, observed swallow assessments, and worked with residents to create a diet plan to match preferences and restrictions



Ross Memorial Hospital - Out-patient Diabetes Education Centre

• Dietetic Intern

  • Sep 2011 - Sep 2011

  Lindsay, ON  4-week rotation  Independently assessed client history, diet history (using food models), readiness to change, blood sugar monitoring (using log books). Made recommendations regarding diet therapy and discussed strategies for client change success; Completed nutrition care documentation in patient charts  Created a presentation on “Just the basics” for a group of newly diagnosed diabetes patients  Triaged referrals from highest to lowest priority



The Olde Smoke House Catering Company

• Food Preparation / Server

  • May 2008 - Aug 2011

  Ennismore, ON  Applied knowledge of food safety, food handling techniques, and health sanitation standards  Refined communication and leadership skills as “team leader”; able to assess situations, identify relevance and prioritize within the broader context in order to delegate tasks and direct the team  Reinforced organizational and time-management skills to ensure serving of food at ideal temperature as well as optimum taste and presentation



Ross Memorial Hospital; Diabetes Education Clinic

• Assistant & Nutrition Student

  • May 2008 - Aug 2010

  Lindsay, ON  Developed an appreciation for the dynamic and challenging role of the dietitian by assisting dietitians with both in-patient and out-patient care, and with food service  Acquired an understanding of college standards pertaining to the content and timeliness of patient charting; designed a process to audit out-patient charts for compliance  Expanded technical skills in the development of presentations for the community and information for their website … Show more  Developed an appreciation for the dynamic and challenging role of the dietitian by assisting dietitians with both in-patient and out-patient care, and with food service  Acquired an understanding of college standards pertaining to the content and timeliness of patient charting; designed a process to audit out-patient charts for compliance  Expanded technical skills in the development of presentations for the community and information for their website  Developed and enhanced clerical and communication skills in the process of taking minutes for meetings, scheduling of appointments, filing, and preparation of reports  Utilized research skills by compiling the most up-to-date information regarding diabetes and the field of dietetics in general  Utilized academic learning by auditing hospital menus to meet the specific needs of clients with a variety of conditions; developed and utilized nutrition handouts and fact tables, some of which contained sample menus for patients  Part of an interdisciplinary team in the diabetes clinic providing opportunities to observe client interviews, assist with identification of problem areas and considerations for menu planning Show less