Healthcare Professionals

Why choose a Registered Dietitian?
Registered Dietitians have the skills and knowledge to translate nutrition science into practical information. Studies show that Medical Nutrition Therapy can:

• Prevent or reduce the severity of numerous diseases and their complications
• Decrease the length of hospital stay
• Increase performance in sports
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Improve health and well being

Registered Dietitians at Children’s:

• Specialize in the unique issues of pediatrics
• Completed extensive training and continuing education in pediatric nutrition

Top 10 Reasons to Refer Your Patients to a Registered Dietitian:

• Your patient has diabetes, congenital health defects, hypertension, cancer, hyperlipidemia, or other chronic disorders
• Your patient has digestive problems (Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, short bowel syndrome)
• Your patient has food allergies which impact a major food group (for example: milk protein or wheat allergy)
• Your patient was a premature or low birth weight infant or has deviated from their established growth curve and is not growing adequately (failure to thrive)
• You are concerned about your patient’s weight or risk of becoming overweight
• Your patient and their family wants to eat healthier
• Your patient has or is at risk of developing a nutrient deficiency
• Your patient has difficulty feeding, has issues with food or is showing signs of disordered eating habits
• Your patient wants to improve their performance in sports

How do I refer a patient for an outpatient nutrition consultation?
Please fax 205-638-6047 the following items to our office:

• Signed referral form for Medical Nutrition Therapy with specific diagnoses (with codes) indicated
• The reason for the referral
• Current medication list
• Growth chart(s)
• Any relevant laboratory values/test results
• History & phyiscal/progress notes
• Any relevant protocols

Once the appropriate authorizations and all necessary records have been obtained, then we will contact your patient’s family to schedule a consultation.

Have questions about how to refer a patient for nutrition services at Children’s? Please refer to our frequently asked questions regarding outpatient referrals for nutrition services.