The Nutrition and Dietary Unit

Paula Hizmi- Director, Nutrition and Dietary Unit

Maintaining proper nutritional status is a critical component of the recovery process. It improves response to medical treatments, strengthens prognosis, significantly enhances the patient’s quality of life, and may even shorten the duration of hospitalization.

The primary goal of the Nutrition and Dietetics Unit at Reuth Tel Aviv is to provide patients with personalized and balanced nutritional care, prevent malnutrition, and promote comprehensive nutritional improvement. The unit operates in full and integral collaboration with all hospital departments and multidisciplinary teams.

The team of dietitians develops an individualized nutrition plan for each patient, precisely tailored to their medical and nutritional condition. In addition, the unit is responsible for planning the menus served to all hospital patients (in accordance with Ministry of Health guidelines) and supervises the therapeutic kitchen, which provides specialized foods according to patients’ needs.

Patients

The unit provides services to all hospitalized patients, as well as to ambulatory patients attending the hospital for day hospitalization who require professional nutritional counseling and follow-up.

Patients undergoing rehabilitation: The unit’s team conducts an initial assessment with every new patient to identify nutritional risk, tailor menus for chronic diseases and changing medical conditions, and provide personalized nutritional support aimed at achieving rehabilitation goals, with special emphasis on restoring and rebuilding muscle mass.
Ventilated patients: Nutritional regimens are adapted to the unique physiological requirements associated with mechanical ventilation and the weaning process.
Children: Provision of meticulous nutritional care based on growth curves, with the objective of maximizing each child’s growth potential according to their condition.
complex nursing Care: Determination of the most appropriate diet type and feeding method for the patient’s condition, accompanied by ongoing and continuous monitoring throughout the hospitalization period.
Patients with swallowing disorders: Assessment and treatment are carried out jointly with the Speech and Language Therapy Unit. Nutrition is individually adapted to each patient’s swallowing ability—from solid foods, through pureed and liquid textures, to enteral feeding. Care is provided according to the international IDDSI standards for food and drink texture modification.
Patients under ambulatory care: Individual consultations are provided as needed to address the nutritional implications of medical conditions and to assist in managing side effects associated with pain medications.

Research and academic activity

The unit’s staff plays an active role in scientific endeavors, conducts ongoing research, and publishes articles in leading professional journals.

In addition, the unit:

Initiates and organizes professional conferences and workshops.
• Provides training for medical and allied health professionals, both from within the hospital and from external institutions.
• Serves as a recognized training center for nutrition students in Israel.
• Participates in Ministry of Health committees dedicated to advancing the profession.
• Provides professional guidance and consultation to geriatric and rehabilitation institutions on nutrition and dietetics.

The team

The unit’s team consists of 10 clinical dietitians. All team members possess extensive clinical knowledge and substantial experience in treating complex chronic patients and individuals undergoing rehabilitation.

To ensure the highest standard of care, team members regularly participate in conferences, professional study days, and continuing education programs, and actively implement the latest scientific advances in their daily clinical practice.