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Heidi J. Silver, Ph.D., R.D., C.N.S.D.

Research Assistant Professor of Medicine


Dr. Silver joined the VCHN team in fall 2003. She was a Research Assistant Professor at Florida International University’s Center on Nutrition and Aging following completion of her doctoral degree. Dr. Silver’s prior research has targeted nutrition support, food, and fluid intake issues of older adults after hospital discharge in home and community settings and family caregiving. She has convened two national issue panels on implementing the Dietary Reference Intakes in Older Americans Act Nutrition Programs. She has also provided public testimonies to the US Department of Health and Human Services for the expansion of Medical Nutrition Therapy benefits to older adults in post-acute care settings. She serves as President-Elect for the Aging Research Interest Section of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences. Dr. Silver has extensive clinical expertise in the provision of parenteral and enteral nutrition support, especially in the areas of trauma; critical care; short bowel syndrome, intestinal failure and intestinal transplant; malabsorption; eating disorders; oncology; and pre-gestational diabetes. 

 Diet and Nutrition Assessment Center

Education

Dr. Silver received her Doctoral Degree in Clinical Nutrition in 2001 and her M.S. in Nutrition in 1991 from Florida International University. Dr. Silver received her B.S. in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst in 1977.

Postgraduate Training

Dr. Silver became a Registered Dietitian by the Commission for Dietetic Registration in 1990 and a board certified nutrition support dietitian (CNSD) by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition in 1994.

Selected Publications

Silver HJ, Wellman NS, Galindo-Ciocon D, Johnson P. Family Caregivers of Older Adults on Home Enteral Nutrition Have Multiple Unmet Task-Related Training Needs and a Low Level of Preparedness (in press J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103:).

Silver HJ, Wellman NS. Nutrition diagnosing and order writing: Value for practitioners, quality for clients. (in press J Am Diet Assoc 2003;103:).

Castellanos VH, Silver HJ, Gallagher-Allred C, Smith T. Nutrition Issues in Home, Community, and Long-term Care. Nutr Clin Pract. 2003;18:21-36.

Silver HJ, Wellman NS, Arnold DJ, Livingstone AS, Byers PM. Older Adults on Home Enteral Nutrition: Enteral Regimen, Provider Involvement, and Health Care Outcomes. (accepted 10/03/03 J Parenter Enteral Nutr)

Silver HJ, Wellman NS. Nutrition Education May Reduce Burden in Family Caregivers of Older Adults. J Nutr Ed Behav. 2002;34:S53-S58.

Silver HJ, Wellman NS. Family Caregiver Training Is Needed To Improve Outcomes Of Home Care Technologies In Older Adults. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002;102:831-836.

Silver HJ, Castellanos VH. Nutritional Complications And Management Of Intestinal Transplant. J Am Diet Assoc. 2000;100:680-689.

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