Vanderbilt Center for Human Nutrition

The malnutrition clinic provides intensive nutritional care to undernourished patients. Typical patients include those suffering from short bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, malabsorption, fistulas, radiation enteritis, bowel obstruction, ischemic bowel disease, and eating disorders.

Physicicans and Specialists

A physician or nurse practitioner nutrition specialist works closely with dietitians, nurses, and pharmacists to offer nutrition assessment, individualized interventions and follow-up monitoring. Routine care and follow-up are offered for patients who require either home parenteral nutrition or home enteral nutrition support. Appropriate management can positively impact patient outcome and facilitate cost savings. Individualized interventions and management can include placement of feeding tubes, placement of central venous access devices, or peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC lines), management of psychosocial issues related to nutrition interventions, changes to parenteral or enteral nutrition regimens based on clinical condition or response, and timely discontinuation of therapy when appropriate.

Malnutrition Clinic Team

The malnutrition clinic team works closely with patients, home infusion and nursing agencies, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and insurance carriers to ensure appropriate nutrition therapies are provided for patients with specialized nutrition needs. Referrals can be made from primary care physicians or through contracts with home infusion companies or HMOs.

We are the only academic facility in Middle Tennessee to offer a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses the very latest research advances for the management of malnutrition.

What are the advantages of using a specialized nutrition service?

• Appropriate patient selection
• Experienced patient management
• Cost effective, appropriate initiation and discontinuation of therapy
• Reduced emergency department visits
• Enhanced communication and continuity of care between the patient, the primary physician, and the home infusion vendor

How are referrals made?

• Through primary physician office
• Through contracts from home infusion vendors
• Through contracts with third party payors, TennCare, or Medicare