Beyond Hospital Walls: Innovative, Patient-Centered Approaches to Nutrition Care Transitions
Speakers:
Marlis Atkins, RD (Alberta Health Services), Caitlin Wallis, MPH, RD, PMP® (Alberta Health Services), and Diane Hoeve (Patient Ambassador)
Webinar description:
Over the past several years, Alberta has worked to strengthen malnutrition care through provincial strategies, Connect Care improvements, and partnerships that bridge acute care, community services, and primary care. While considerable effort has been invested in screening, assessment, and discharge planning, emerging evidence suggests that successful nutrition transitions depend on more than simply providing information at discharge.
This session will explore how Alberta is rethinking nutrition care transitions through a combination of system-level change, frontline innovation, and patient-centered care. Presenters will share practical examples including discharge milestones, instant orders, and partnerships between hospital and Primary Care Network dietitians. The session will also highlight what has been learned from dietitians and patients about the realities of transitioning nutrition care after hospitalization, including the differences between what providers often prioritize and what matters most to patients during recovery.
Participants will leave with insights into how nutrition professionals can leverage existing systems, build stronger connections across care settings, and design transitions of care that better meet patient needs.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the webinar participants will be able to:
- Describe how digital tools, care pathways, and interdisciplinary processes can support nutrition care transitions across the continuum of care.
- Examine differences between patient priorities and provider assumptions during transitions from hospital to community care and consider the implications for practice.
- Identify practical opportunities to strengthen dietitian-to-dietitian communication, referral pathways, and community connections to support recovery after discharge.
Moderator: Mei Tom, RD (Alberta Health Services)
About the Speakers:
Marlis Atkins is a Registered Dietitian with more than 30 years of experience and has served as the Director of Nutrition Services, Provincial Initiatives and Integrated Services for Alberta Health Services (AHS) since 2011. Her leadership spans provincial and national levels, supported by active involvement in the Canadian Nutrition Society (CNS) and in the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force.
With over a decade of experience leading system‑level initiatives, Marlis brings expertise in knowledge translation, implementation of nutrition science, and health‑system integration. She has guided numerous initiatives within AHS that bridge research and clinical practice to enhance care quality, patient outcomes, and operational efficiency.
Caitlin Wallis is a Calgary-based Registered Dietitian. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Memorial University, completed her dietetic internship with Eastern Health, and later earned a Master of Public Health from Lakehead University. She has also completed advanced training in Health Leadership through BCIT and obtained her Project Management Professional certification in 2024.
Caitlin spent a decade as a clinical dietitian supporting Hematology and Blood & Marrow Transplant patients before moving into her current manager role, where she provides strategic leadership and champions evidence‑based, patient‑centred nutrition care.
Diane Hoeve is a retired Registered Nurse with clinical expertise in general surgery and public health. She has 9 years of patient lived experience with home parenteral nutrition as well as caregiver to individuals with malnutrition. She enjoys golfing, pickle ball, and is always up for adrenaline rush activities such as zip lining and the Edge Walk on the heights of the Toronto CN Tower. In the winter she facilitates and companions widow support groups and ladies Bible studies. Diane enjoys spirited conversation with friends over a glass of red wine, a challenging jigsaw, and dreams of a future Oiler’s Stanley cup.
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