Initial assessments: 80 minutes.
Follow-up sessions: 50 minutes.

Initial Assessment

• A medical, nutrition and weight history is obtained
• Current eating style is reviewed
• Nutrition and health objectives are discussed
• An appropriate treatment approach is determined
• Short- and/or long-term goal(s) are established
• Food and weight beliefs are explored
• Education process begins

What to Bring to the Initial Assessment?

• List of food, beverages and water consumed for 3 typical days, please include amounts actually eaten, name brands or restaurants, including one weekend day.  Please refrain from changing your food intake on these days.
• List of physical activities and time spent on each one.
• List of medicines, vitamins, minerals, other herbs or supplements you are taking.
• Name, Address, Phone and Fax Number of each member of your healthcare team.
• A copy of Lab work if any was done within the last 3 months. Your physician can fax lab work and growth charts to Ellen at 919-714-0488.  (Lab work usually comes back within normal limits. This does not mean you are without nutritional deficiencies or that you are in a healthy state. Your body has a great ability to keep your blood chemical levels within a certain range at the cost of other body systems.)
• Copies of all available growth charts, age two or older, or height and weight history from your pediatrician or primary care physician.

Follow-Up Sessions

• Discuss possible eating and lifestyle changes and how to facilitate that change
• Review goals/changes made to date, determine the appropriateness of their continuation and or establish new or additional goals
• Discuss any successes you have had
• Discuss current food and activity struggles
• Address food and nutrition concerns
• Provide continued health and nutrition education
• Encourage use of new coping strategies
• Explore and challenge food and weight beliefs
• Encourage self-acceptance and self-care skills
• Assist you in building your self-confidence in your ability to make changes
• Modification of treatment approach if appropriate
• Restaurant outings
• Grocery Store outings

Telehealth

Ellen offers telehealth sessions for individuals living in North Carolina. All sessions are done through HIPAA compliant technology with the use of your smartphone, computer or tablet that offers face to face communication.

At this time, insurance companies do not always cover telehealth for nutrition services. Please check with your insurance carrier.

For Medical Nutrition Therapy, Ellen is a provider for most BlueCross BlueShield plans. View the list on the Appointments tab.  Please call your insurance company to see if it covers out-patient Medical Nutrition Therapy procedure codes 97802 and 97803. Also ask how many visits it covers per year, if you need to meet a deductible before coverage begins and if you have a copay with each visit.

This page was last updated on 1/2/2024.