Nutritional Services for Oncology Patients

Coordinated nutritional intervention is provided to all Regional Oncology Center, Radiation Therapy Department, and hospitalized hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplant patients, by Bonnie Taylor, a Registered Dietitian, certified by New York State.

Miss Taylor completes a nutrition assessment of each inpatient. Nutritional assessment for outpatients is conducted upon physician referral. Patients are evaluated for their nutritional risk in order to optimize their nutritional status. Patients and their families are counseled on managing the nutritional complications of their disease and the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. When supplements are recommended, the dietitian works closely with physicians, physician's assistants, nurses, social workers, and swallowing therapists, in meeting the nutritional needs of hematology/oncology patients in the hospital or at home.

Miss Taylor serves as a preceptor for dietetic students from Syracuse University during their clinical rotations at University Hospital. In addition, she serves as a nutrition resource to the medical students, residents, and attending physicians at the hospital.

She presented a program on "Nutrition and Prostate Cancer" to a support group at the American Cancer Society.

To refer a patient for nutritional evaluations and counseling, or for a group program call (315) 464-5201.