PHILADELPHIA (October 13, 2023) — Jaylin Kellogg, MS, RD, LDN, CNSC, Nutrition Support Dietitian, and Kara Stromberg, MS, RD, CDE, LDN, Clinical Nutrition Manager, both at Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple University Hospital - Jeanes Campus, presented information regarding the role of dietitians in end-of-life care at this year’s Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE).
“This presentation really focuses on having the tough conversations at the end of life. A lot of dietitians aren’t involved in those situations or don’t feel comfortable having those conversations, but nutrition is a really big piece of it,” said Stromberg.
Their presentation, “The Role of the Dietitian Throughout the Cancer Continuum: Having the Difficult Conversations,” addressed the crucial need for nutrition throughout the entirety of the cancer experience and highlighted the role of the registered dietitian as part of the palliative care team.
Stromberg and Kellogg also introduced the newly formed Ethical Feeding Task Force at Fox Chase and highlighted their goal of creating a standardized process to determine when total parenteral nutrition (TPN) is warranted at the end of life. TPN is intravenous administration of nutrition which may include protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. TPN offers a life-sustaining option in situations where impaired gastrointestinal function prevents oral intake or enteral nutrition.
“This presentation is meaningful to me because I believe that earlier education and communication with providers, patients, and their families can alleviate suffering and panic at end of life when the decision to withhold artificially administered nutrition and hydration is recommended,” said Kellogg.
“These decisions highlight the importance of cancer centers having a multidisciplinary committee available to ensure that cancer patients are receiving ethically appropriate medical nutrition interventions that align with patient, family, and provider goals,” she said.
Kellogg earned her bachelor’s degree in nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University and completed a coordinated master’s degree and dietetic internship at Case Western Reserve University and the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center. She oversees all nutrition support patients at Fox Chase and serves as the lead preceptor for Fox Chase and Jeanes Campus, where she oversees all dietetic interns on campus.
Stromberg earned her bachelor’s degree in dietetics at the University of Delaware and completed her master’s in clinical nutrition and dietetic internship at New York University. She oversees all inpatient and ambulatory nutrition areas, nutrition programming, as well as nutrition-related research efforts and quality improvement projects at Fox Chase and Jeanes Campus.
FNCE, which is being held this year in Denver, is the largest nutrition conference in the country and welcomes registered dietitians, dietetic technicians, researchers, and industry leaders each year to attend educational programs and meet vendors.