A new nutritional therapy exhibit at GI medical conferences

Three passionate professionals that are also parents utilizing diet to treat children with Crohn’s Disease, together with Dr. David Suskind of Seattle Children’s Hospital, created the “Nutritional Therapy for IBD” exhibit. This exhibit’s first inauguration was held at the NASPGHAN 2018 conference (North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition).

Kim Beall, Pharm.D., Sheri Pilley, CHC, and Gisele Woodward MSW, initiated and created the exhibit to promote awareness for the role of nutrition, its influence on the microbiome in IBD, and the ability to therapeutically alter it to improve patient outcomes.

As NASPGHAN is the largest gastroenterology meeting in North America with over 2000 pediatric GIs in attendance, it was the most logical meeting to launch the exhibit and reach a wider audience of practicing gastroenterologists. The purpose was to greatly increase the level of conversation about nutrition as a treatment option, either alone or in combination with pharmaceutical therapy. Dr. Lindsey Albenberg from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Dr. Dale Lee from Seattle Children’s Hospital also participated in the exhibit to share their knowledge and experience utilizing this therapy in clinical practice. Catalina Berenblum, student and patient advocate from the University of Noth Carolina, joined the team to share her personal experience managing IBD with diet.

The exhibit was extremely well received, with hundreds of clinicians stopping by to learn more about dietary therapy and pick up resources like flash drives loaded with data on nutrition in IBD, patient handouts on diet, and copies of the Nutrition in Immune Balance book, while sampling SCD food.

”So there, situated between pharmaceutical companies and medical supply reps, was a nutrition booth. This booth was truly the busiest (and most unique) on the exhibit hall floor. It offered articles and research about nutrition therapy for IBD, and allowed hundreds of attendees meet and talk directly to pediatric GI’s who support the use of diet for IBD. Delicious SCD pumpkin cookies and crackers were available for sampling and helped generate great booth traffic (thanks to Liberated Specialty Foods). Practitioners will very likely remember this booth and its message…and hopefully share it with their patients.” (Sheri Pilley, CHC)

The “Nutritional Therapy for IBD” booth will have its second exhibit at the upcoming Crohn’s and Colitis Congress Feb 7-9 in Las Vegas. Ece Mutlu, MD from Rush Medical Center will be joining the above clinicians at the exhibit to share her expertise in the use of nutrition for the management of IBD. In addition to the PRODUCE study in the pediatric population, the DINE-CD study of SCD vs the Mediterranean Diet in adults, with principal investigator, James Lewis, MD, from the University of Pennsylvania will be highlighted.

Gratitude is given to the Woodward Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, Charleston Sign and Banner, and Liberated Specialty foods, whose support has been integral to the success of the exhibit.