What to Expect at Your First Nutrition Therapy Appointment
Proper nutrition is a big part of your child's overall health. When medical complications appear, they can affect your child's growth, making good nutrition even more important. Our team of nutrition experts has the specialized training needed to support your child's development and nutritional health.
Meeting your child's nutritional needs can be a multi-step process. We understand you may have questions about the first appointment with our clinic. Here's what you need to know about preparing for your child's initial visit.
Making an Appointment
Before Your Appointment
- Contact the patient’s insurance provider before scheduling an appointment to verify coverage.
- A physician’s referral to the Nutrition Clinic is not required for service but is often required for insurance reimbursement
- Contact us to schedule an appointment. Specify the preferred location for service
- Prepare a list of medications, vitamins or mineral and nutrition supplements your child takes and bring to the appointment
- Record everything your child eats or drinks within a 24 hour period for the dietitian to review at time of appointment
On the Day of Your Visit
After talking with your child's primary care provider or other physician, you may have many questions related to your child's specific needs. Our expert team is here to provide detailed information and individualized care, including personalized nutritional interventions. If you have any concerns, we can connect you with a social worker. You may also contact your dietitian via phone or request an additional telehealth appointment.
Arriving at Your Appointment
On the day of your appointment, please bring:
- Your child (the patient) must be present for the appointment for both in person and telehealth appointments
- Growth history (including height measurements or weights) not provided prior to your appointment via Mychart. or sent by your pediatrician
- A photo or bottle / container of any nutrition supplements your child is drinking
- A list of prescribed medication, vitamin / mineral supplements and any documented food logs
- Contact information for pediatrician / PCP
You will need to allow 15 minutes for parking and walking to our clinic. Upon arrival, please check in at the clinic registration desk near the location of your appointment. If you're running late, contact us.
At Your Appointment
Your child's initial visit will last roughly one hour and will be devoted to identifying their nutritional concerns. We will also work with you to create a nutrition plan to improve your child's health outcomes.
During your appointment, if you are only visiting the Nutrition Clinic, your child will see a registered dietitian. If your appointment is with the multi-disciplinary clinic, your child will see a:
- Nurse
- Physician
- Registered dietitian
- Medical assistant
- Social worker
As part of your visit, you can expect:
- Health and diet history
- Measurements to obtain an updated height and weight (for in-person appointments)
- Telehealth appointments: please ensure you have recent height and weight information available for the dietitian.
- Nutrition-focused physical exam with the dietitian
- Lab reviews
- Education
At the end of your appointment, you will receive an after-visit summary, and one will be sent to your child's referring provider. For telehealth visits, a visit summary will be emailed to you within two days of your child's appointment. Please follow any recommended nutritional interventions as directed. We will also share any interventions with your child's referring physician.
After the Appointment
If you have questions or concerns after your appointment, please reach out to one of our registered dietitians. Correct contact information will be included in your after-visit summary.
Please don't hesitate to contact us about your child's nutritional needs. We're here to help!
