systemic infections, kidney failure, diseases involving the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract, liver failure, heart disease, various stages of cancer, and many more medical conditions for which individuals are hospitalized. I also specialized in the provision of artificial nutrition support administered by way of tube feedings and the parenteral (intravenous) route.

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In the Fall of 2009, I embarked on a journey into long-term care. I took the position of Nutrition Department Manager and Lead Clinical Dietitian at Elderwood at Wheatfield (formerly Crestwood), a 160 bed skilled nursing/rehab facility. Clinically, I was responsible for overseeing the medical nutritional status of all residents and patients within the facility. This included the completion of nutritional assessments of the patients' health, providing medical nutrition therapy interventions based on my assessments, and then developing resident care plans that incorporated my recommendations based on evaluation of their needs. It also included monitoring and evaluating clinical nutrition factors such as changes in weights, laboratory values, input and output via intake studies and nursing documentation, and pressure sore development and healing. Additionally, I assisted care givers in feeding the aphasic/dysphagic patients who were unable to speak/had impaired swallowing, provided counseling and education to the alert and oriented, provided various medical nutrition therapy interventions as needs arose. I also acted as a resource for the facility physicians and medical team. In addition, I prescribed tube feeding nutrition support to residents who had been rendered dependent by a permanent non-function or overall medical decline. I contributed to ethics committee decisions regarding its initiation as it is largely life altering and requires the input of a qualified provider. After about 2 years, I transitioned over to Elderwood at Amherst, a sister facility where I worked for another 2 years in the same capacity. At this point, I realized my mission. It was to help patients reduce their risk of ending up in the hospital or nursing rehab facility. I transitioned into part-time and began to pursue my decade long dream of opening a private practice in nutrition counseling.

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As I transitioned into my new practice, I began consulting for Schofield Residence and Schoellkopf Health Center, working to fortify and update the nutrition department policies and procedures to ensure greater care for the residents at each facility. With my efforts, the nutrition department at Schoellkopf was deficiency free for the first time in two years per the 2012 New York State Department of Health annual survey. I have remained deficiency free at every facility I have managed, for a total of 6 annual surveys. What I learned I owe to the Elderwood company, whose heart and purpose is to care for the elderly and disabled, providing them with the love and security of home. Their care-first mentality has stayed with me throughout my career and later inspired me to join forces with Dent Neurological Institute’s Integrative Program for Cognitive Decline in 2018.

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In the fall of 2012, I was offered an opportunity to grow my practice by joining Buffalo Medical Group, PC. Founded in 1946, BMG is among the oldest and largest multi-specialty physician group practices in New York State with more than 100 specialist and sub-specialist physicians. I held offices in Buffalo, Williamsville, Orchard Park, and Elma.

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In 2013 I was hired by the NFL Buffalo Bills to serve as their team consulting dietitian, working alongside the team physicians, trainers and coaching staff. I began caring for the medical needs of the players by managing chronic disease and injuries while enhancing performance with medical nutrition therapy. In November of 2015, I left BMG to focus my practice in Integrative and Functional Nutrition (IFN), while continuing to consult for the Buffalo Bills.

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In 2016, Buffalo Nutrition & Dietetics was born along with my vision to build a group of dietitians with the skill to evaluate and address the underlying cause of complex chronic disease. In 2018, I shifted to per diem with the NFL/NHL and began partnering with Dent Neurologic Institute's Integrative Program for Cognitive Decline and joined the formation of it's very own Functional Medicine Clinic, lead by Laura Funke, FNP, IFMCP.

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Functional Nutrition utilizes a systems biology approach to correct imbalances and the cascade of multiple physiologic abnormalities that result. Imbalances are impacted by food, nutrients, nutraceuticals, and lifestyle, thus IFN is capable of modulating symptoms to restore balance and function to the individual. I am a passionate member of the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) and the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy (IFNA). In 2022 I obtained my IFNCP credential and became a board certified Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner (IFNCP). The IFNCP credential is the highest credential in functional nutrition and requires 2 years of intensive coursework followed by a board exam.

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IFNA’s distinguished faculty and advisory board includes top leaders in integrative and functional medicine. The knowledge I attained through this coursework is both cutting edge and paramount to addressing complex chronic disease using an Integrative and Functional approach to the following:

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• Digestive disorders

• Gluten spectrum disorders

• Genetic and Methylation disorders

• Nutrigenetic Testing and the Clinical Implementation of Translational Nutrigenomics

• Brain disorders

• Cardiometabolic disorders involving inflammation and insulin dysregulation

• Detoxification and toxicity in chronic disease

• Cancer therapies

• Adrenal, thyroid and hormonal dysfunction

• Mitochondrial myopathies, CFS, fibromyalgia and pain related disorders

• Rare and common food sensitivities and intolerances

• Therapeutic elimination diets, used to identify hidden life-altering adverse food reactions

• Advanced culinary nutritional medicine

• The nutrition focused physical

• An advanced approach to using dietary supplements in clinical practice

• Advanced functional diagnostic testing

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My life work and mission is to bring functional nutrition to Buffalo, NY and raise awareness of its impact on people's lives. I am privileged to provide both compassionate and experienced care to the community alongside my dietitian team.  I have been published in Business First 3 times and am frequently featured on news, radio, and TV programs and events including Channel 7, Channel 2, Spectrum News, WBFO radio, and BBC. I enjoy being a resource to media journalists who are seeking ideas for important topics on functional nutrition research. I work per diem for the Elderwood company where I cover for the clinical diet staff as needed, and also see my grandparents! I enjoy speaking for groups and organizations on contract and donation. 

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“Maybe you are searching among the branches, for what only appears in the roots." ~Rumi​ 

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MEDICAL LICENSURES:​

• Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

  • The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Commission on Dietetic Registration 

• Certified Dietitian Nutritionist (CDN)

  • University of the State of New York Education Department, Office of the Professions

• Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist (LDN)

  • Florida Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance​

• Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner (IFNCP)

  • Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy (IFNA)​

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PROFESSIONAL AFFILLIATIONS:​

• Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (AND)

• Dietitians In Integrative & Functional Medicine (DIFM)

• The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM)

• Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy (IFNA)​

• Western New York Dietetic Association (WNYDA)

• New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (NYSAND)

• Rotaract Club of Rotary International District 7090