Success Stories

Advancing Nutrition Care Across Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services

Submitted by Kara Roberts MSc, RD 
Provincial Dietitians Unite for CMTF SGA Train-the-Trainer Pilot Program 
The Provincial Professional Practice Department of Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services (NLHS) continues to champion evidence-informed practice by building strategic partnerships with national leaders. One such collaboration took place on November 25, 2025, as clinical dietitians from across the province travelled to St. John’s to participate in a hands-on Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) Train-the-Trainer (TTT) Pilot program delivered through the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force (CMTF). This initiative directly supports NLHS’ Strategic Issues of Access and Quality by expanding the number of dietitians trained in malnutrition assessment and enhancing patients’ access to high-quality nutrition care. 

Building Expertise to Support System-Wide Excellence 
Seven clinical dietitians with varying levels of experience were selected through an expression-of-interest process to ensure broad representation across NLHS Zones: 

• Western Zone: Kerry Gillard, Kim Stinson-Burt 
• Eastern Urban Zone: Shelly Burton, Amanda O’Brien, Vanessa Brown 
• Eastern Rural Zone: Courtney Murphy 
• Central Zone: Kaitlyn Frampton  
• Project lead - Kara Roberts, Provincial Professional Practice Consultant for Dietitians and Director, Dietetic Internship Program 

Hosted at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s, the dietitians engaged in immersive, hands-on learning with CMTF trainer Manon Laporte RD MSc CNSC, marking a significant step toward consistent, high-quality malnutrition assessment across the province. Each attendee will now return to their Zone, equipped to mentor colleagues and support broader integration of this essential clinical skill among their dietitian peers.    

Why SGA Matters 
Malnutrition is common among hospitalized patients and often remains undetected without a structured assessment approach. SGA is recognized as the gold-standard bedside tool for identifying malnutrition early and accurately.  Repeated SGA assessments ensure timely nutrition care that can prevent patients’ nutrition status from declining during hospitalization.  

 A Shared Energy and Commitment 
Throughout the training, the dietitians expressed enthusiasm for strengthening their own clinical skills and pride in contributing to a unified provincial approach to nutrition assessment.  This successful collaboration between NLHS and CMTF highlights the power of national-provincial partnerships in transforming practice. By empowering dietitians with advanced SGA skills and the ability to train others, NLHS is ensuring that every patient—regardless of location—has access to high-quality nutrition assessment and care.