For better health
For better health
20 SEPTEMBER 2019
The board and director of the Nutrition and Healthcare Alliance. F.l.t.r.: Flip Kruyt, surgeon (HGV); Mirjam van 't Veld, chair of the board of directors (HGV); chair of the Alliance Tom van Loenhout, cardiologist (HGV/Rijnstate); Ellen Kampman, professor (WUR); Renger Witkamp, professor (WUR), Menrike Menkveld, director NHA; Wim van Harten, chair of the board of directors (Rijnstate). Peter Wahab, gastroenterologist (Rijnstate) is missing in this picture.
In 2019, Mirjam van ’t Veld, chair of the board of directors Hospital Gelderse Vallei (HGV), and Peter Wahab, gastroenterologist of Rijnstate (RIJN) became members of the board of the Nutrition and Healthcare Alliance (NHA). “Hospital Gelderse Vallei was in 2007 co-founder of the Nutrition and Healthcare Alliance. I am proud of what has been created since then. We want to stay front runner as Nutrition hospital. Therefore, we are focusing on collaboration, also internationally”, says van ‘t Veld. Rijnstate became part of the Alliance in 2017. The membership of Peter Wahab, with his track record in research, further strengthens the research on nutrition in healthcare settings. “The Nutrition Alliance is a great initiative with appealing projects. I am honored to be part of the Alliance and look forward to stimulating collaborations,’ says Wahab.
Last year, the Nutrition and Healthcare Alliance signed the Dutch National Prevention Agreement of the ministry of health, welfare and sports. As a result the Alliance runs a project that stimulates healthy nutrition for patients, visitors and staff in Dutch hospitals, subsidized by the ministry. In close collaboration with the Dutch union of hospitals, experiences of the Nutrition hospital are shared. Furthermore, together with other healthcare organisations, we focus on nutritional needs of patients with chronic diseases and on the prevention and treatment of overweight. Read more >>>>
The Nutrition Alliance started the project 'Attention for overweight in healthcare education' together with Partnerschap Overgewicht Nederland (PON), Hogeschool Utrecht (HU) and partner-network. This project is subsidized by the ministry of health, welfare and sports. The project aims to create attention for prevention and treament of obesity in healthcare education, by adding the role of nutrition, physical activity and relaxation in the education. Also the underlying causes of obesity are addressed. The project focusses on the curriculum of medical and nursing education.
The Nutrition Alliance contributed their experience in the recent advice about ‘shift of healthcare to the paramedical sector’, which minister Bruins presented to the Dutch Cabinet. The hospital is an important place to detect problems with nutrition and to initiate changes, by opening up the discussion about nutrition and physical activity in the consultation room. Collaboration with the paramedic sector is necessary for integration of nutrition and physical activity in the primary- and secondary care.
The Foodvalley Region Deal wants to accelerate the transition to a sustainable and healthy food system. The Nutrition Alliance shares knowledge and experience in the program ‘Nutrition and Health: from early start to old age’, to improve health and gain a better quality of life. The projects are expected to start in fall 2019.
Core partners in the Nutrition and Healthcare Alliance are Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Hospital Gelderse Vallei (HGV) and Rijnstate (RIJN). Health gain is the goal in all projects. Research- & innovation projects are executed within the research-topics: oncology, cardiovascular diseases, geriatrics and elderly, intestinal disorders and obesity (See Box 1). Within the projects there is focus on nutrition, but naturally often also on physical activity, sleep and other lifestyle factors. Several Spin-outs arose from the Nutrition and Healthcare Alliance, in which knowledge is established and applied (See Box 2). Together with the municipality of Ede, care organisation Opella and general practitioners Gelderse Vallei, the Alliance implements optimal nutrition care in the Foodvalley region.
Box 1 – Research-topics Nutrition and Healthcare AllianceOncologyHeaded by professor Ellen Kampman (WUR), the role of nutrition on treatment results and quality of life is investigated. For example, the COLON-studie provides information on the role of nutrition and lifestyle during and after colorectal cancer. Hospital Gelderse Vallei and Rijnstate implement knowledge on nutrition and physical activity during and after treatment. Moreover, research on changes in smell and taste is done by Elbrich Postma (HGV / WUR). Cardiovascular diseasesProfessor Marianne Geleijnse (WUR), together with internist-vascular medical specialists Remy Bemelmans (HGV), Marcel Hovens (RIJN) and several paramedicals, works on the topic of cardiovascular diseases. The Rijnstate Vascular Centre was founded for patients with an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. Hospital Gelderse Vallei started in 2018 with implementation of the ‘Eetscore'- a digital questionnaire about eating habits - for patients with a outpatient visit for their hypertension. Geriatrics and elderlyTogether with professor Renger Witkamp (WUR) and professor Lisette de Groot (WUR) research is done about: Intestinal disordersBen Witteman, gastroenterologist (HGV) and associate professor nutrition and intestinal health in transmural care (WUR) is responsible for this topic. Together with Nicole de Roos (WUR), research in patients with IBD and IBS has started. The 'diet-based approach' in research on IBD and IBS is unique. Research on application of the Eetscore for IBS is started in Rijnstate. ObesityEric Hazebroek, bariatric surgeon (RIJN) and professor at WUR started the research programme: ‘Nutrition and Obesity Treatment’, in which the micronutrient status before and after treatment is investigated. Together with gynaecologist Ineke Krabbendam (HGV), the topic pregnancy after bariatric surgery is investigated. There is a lot of attention for research on treatment of overweight and obesity in children in the hospital as well as in the community. In HGV this is coordinated by paediatrician Arieke Janse and in Rijnstate by paediatrician Petra van Setten. Box 2: Spin-outs Nutrition and Healthcare AllianceTaste and smell clinic®Since 2015, the newest technologies are applied in scientific research and diagnosis in this centre. Patients with anosmia are involved in extended research on their smell or taste disorder. >>>> Read more about the Taste & smell clinic NutriProfiel®Via a unique combination of analysis of vitamin levels in the blood and the eating pattern with the Eetscore, a tailor-made dietary advise is given. This is available in healthcare as well as for customers. >>>> Read more about NutriProfiel Eat2move®This innovation-hub is working on optimising nutrition to improve performance and recovery in (elite) sports and healthcare. Acquired knowledge is directly used for innovative projects with companies for the development of products and services. Eat2Move is collaborating with Sportinnovator Nutritional Status & Health. >>>> Read more about Eat2move Cater with Care®Research- and innovation consortium, which developed and investigated a varied supply of tasty protein enriched nutrition to counteract undernutrition. >>>> Read more about Cater with Care Nutrition hospital®From a unique meal service concept for patients to dietary advice for patients with chronic diseases via Eetscore: Hospital Gelderse Vallei, the Nutrition Hospital of the Netherlands, innovates to improve healthcare, with focus on healthy nutrition and sufficient physical activity. >>>>> Read more about the Nutrition Hospital |
