Our Registered Dietitians

Eating right can be challenging. We all know about getting our five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. But what if someones life is complicated by chronic disease? What if someone is taking steps to managing their weight but they need personalized help with their diet? What if a member has been diagnosed with cancer and they want to make changes to their diet?

All of these individuals have different nutritional needs, highlighting the point that sometimes eating right is not as simple as it seems.

Patients want to hear from their physicians about their conditions and care options. In turn, physicians have a "village of experts" to help them ensure that members receive the personalized care they want and need.

At Kaiser Santa Rosa, physicians can refer members to nutritional specialists—our outpatient registered dietitians (RD). The dietitians for adult outpatient nutrition services currently operate at the Rohnert Park facility. The pediatric dietitian is located at the Stein Building. And for diabetes care management, the dietitian is on site at the main campus. All of these specialists help members make the best food and nutrition decisions for their individual needs.

Registered Dietitians' expertise makes them invaluable in a wide range of circumstances involving patient care, including:

• Individual outpatient counseling - if you feel you need to see a dietitian, please talk to your personal physician about a referral. Our dietitians who work in the outpatient clinics are:
  • Christina Fifer, RD, MS, specializing in general adult and prenatal nutrition
  • Melanie Larson, RD, MS, specializing in general adult nutrition
  • Vicky McKay, RD, MS, CDE, specializing in diabetes and HIV
  • Gail Prosser, RD, CDE, specializing in children and teens
• Teaching classes - check out our Health Education Classes for a description of classes that may be taught by a registered dietitian.
• Hospital care - registered dietitians work in the hospital with other health care staff to help identify and meet your nutritional needs while you are an inpatient.
• Weight management – including bariatric surgery, pre/post support.
• Gastrointestinal cases – such as diverticular disease, IBS, GERD, and Colitis.
• Unintended weight loss or malnutrition – assisting older adults, patients recovering from surgery, and members living with a chronic disease.
• Cancer patients – addressing topics such as prevention, weight gain or loss, and taste or appetite changes; and maximizing calories and nutrition.
• Eating disorders – anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.

Registered dietitians offer our members expert help in becoming aware of unhealthy behaviors and how to change them. People’s health improves when RDs assess their current nutritional status, provide medical nutrition therapy, develop individualized meal plans, assist them with goal setting, and give followup support.

Tip-Top Nutrition

Dietitian Chris Fifer, MS, RD, shares her favorite nutritional tips and whole foods for living a healthy lifestyle.

Top three nutrition tips:

• Choose whole foods
• Practice portion control
• Exercise (yes, exercise!)

Top 10 favorite whole foods:

• Sweet potato
• Lentils
• Broccoli
• Blueberries
• Walnuts
• Papaya
• Spinach
• Soybeans
• Avocado
• Red bell peppers

What is a Registered Dietitian?

A registered dietitian is a highly trained food and nutrition expert who has met stringent academic and professional requirements, including:

• Bachelor's degree with course work approved by the American Dietetic Association's Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education. Coursework typically includes food and nutrition sciences, food service systems management, business, economics, computer science, sociology, biochemistry, physiology, microbiology and chemistry.
• Complete an accredited, supervised, six- to 12-month experiential practice program at a health-care facility, community agency or food service corporation
• Pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration
• Complete continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration.

Some registered dietitians hold additional certifications in specialized areas of practice, such as pediatric or renal nutrition, nutrition support and diabetes education. Most registered dietitians work at hospitals and medical centers, private practice or other health-care facilities. Many work in community and public health settings, academia and research. Many work in food and nutrition industry and business, journalism, sports nutrition, corporate wellness programs and in other nontraditional settings.