35. A Prescription of Nutrition

Contagious Conversations

Dr. Judy Monroe, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation, is your special host for today’s episode, as we discuss nutrition, medicine and public health with Dr. Thea James and Dr. Elizabeth Petelin... starting with a mystery clinical case that at first seems straight out of the 18th century.

Dr. James is an associate professor at the Boston Medical Center, vice president of mission, associate chief medical officer and co-executive director of the Health Equity Accelerator. Dr. James also serves on the board of Community Servings, an organization that engages communities to provide scratch-made, medically tailored meals to individuals and their families experiencing critical or chronic illness and nutrition insecurity. Dr. Petelin is in her third year of residency in the Family Medicine Residency Program at MercyOne in Des Moines, IA, and has a background in kinesiology.

For full episode transcription, visit Contagious Conversations.

Key Takeaways:

[1:40] Dr. Petelin talks about an unusual medical case and how her team ultimately made the diagnosis.

[4:44] How does an illness more closely associated with the 18th century arise today?

[6:19] Dr. James speaks of the importance of proper diet and nutrition in the overall health of the patients she sees in her practice.

[8:42] How do Dr. James and her colleagues work with patients to address nutrition issues?

[10:46] What kind of exposure to the connection between diet, nutrition and overall patient health did Dr. Petelin have when she was a medical student? How much did she learn about social determinants of health?

[13:31] How much exposure to the public health system did Dr. Petelin have before her residency? 

[15:31] Dr. James talks about how Community Servings work.

[19:12] How can we do a better job educating medical students on the importance of nutrition?

[20:44] Dr. Petelin shares her advice on why she always asks about patient nutrition.

[21:04] Dr. James encourages doctors to use patient visits to fully engage with patients and set high bars.

[22:25] Dr. Monroe discusses the US national strategy to end hunger and nutritional deficiencies.

Mentioned in This Episode:

Community Servings

CDC Foundation: Hunger and Health