‘A Revolution in Health Care’: Food as a foundation of wellbeing
VBM
As health care organizations across the country struggle to integrate nutrition-based practices into clinical services, or choose to forego the effort entirely, a small group of clinical dietitians at UVM Medical Center, led by a chef with a passion for sustainable and nutritious cuisine, have cultured a unique, evidence-based program that provides hands-on education and health-improvement resources to patients and clinicians.
The Culinary Medicine Program and its innovative offerings were in the spotlight today, as Adm. Rachel Levine, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health at the US Department of Health and Human Services, met with the team, toured UVM Medical Center’s rooftop garden and spent much of the day huddling with the dietitians, chefs and educators who have spent more than a decade pioneering food- and nutrition-based programs.
The program’s offerings have grown to include a wide range of clinical integrations – from a “Skills Before Pills” program tailored to chronic disease patients and “Kaleidoscope,” a month-long wellbeing program for tweens and teens that is team-led by pediatricians, dietitians and psychology specialists, to “Through the Cooking Glass,” a monthly culinary class developed for patients in UVM Medical Center’s award-winning Comprehensive Pain Program that focuses on anti-inflammatory nutrition, cooking techniques and energy conservation.