ACG Endorses University of Michigan CME Program for Dietitians
by William D. Chey, MD, FACG
Timothy T. Nostrant Professor of Gastroenterology & Nutrition Sciences
Director, GI Nutrition & Behavioral Wellness Program
Co-Director, Michigan Bowel Control Program
Division of Gastroenterology
University of Michigan Health System
Mark Twain once said: “The secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.”
Patients and providers are increasingly recognizing that food’s battleground is the GI tract. There has been an explosion of research linking food to the pathogenesis and treatment of a wide range of GI conditions.
A recent survey of ACG members found that while the vast majority of gastroenterologists in the United States recommend dietary changes to their patients with conditions like IBS, only a minority incorporate the services of a registered dietitian. A big driver of this disconnect involves the lack of access to registered dietitians with adequate training in nutritional counseling for GI disorders.
For this reason, the University of Michigan has created a comprehensive training program for dietitians with an interest in caring for patients with digestive and liver disorders.
Our first conference in 2016 attracted attendees from all over the United States, as well as Columbia, Puerto Rico, China and Australia. Numerous attendees commented that the course filled an important educational void for dietitians with an interest in GI disorders and that they would encourage their colleagues to attend in subsequent years.
This program will be held in Ann Arbor, MI September 22-24, 2017 and will include three days of didactic lectures and panel discussions on a wide range of topics:
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Chronic Constipation
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
- Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- Colorectal Cancer
- Emerging role of the microbiome and metabolome in nutrition and GI disorders
- Genetic sucrose-isomaltase deficiency
If you are interested in adding comprehensive nutrition counseling to the treatment of your patients, or if you want to make sure your dietitian is up to date on the latest science and treatment recommendations, please encourage attendance to this course.