Patient Testimonials

We accept outside referrals from medical providers who are not a part of Northeast Missouri Health Council.

We accept Medicare, MO HealthNet and their Managed Care Organizations, United Healthcare, Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, Healthlink, Cigna, and Aetna insurance. Coverage is dependent upon diagnosis and varies by plan. Patients are asked to verify benefits with their insurer before their first appointment.

The Northeast Missouri Health Council does offer a sliding scale for payment for patients who meet income guidelines. A slide application must be submitted, along with income verification, before it can be reviewed and approved.

We provide nutrition counseling for a wide range of nutrition related conditions that include but are not limited to diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, gastrointestinal diseases, malnutrition, food allergies and intolerances, weight management, disordered eating, pregnancy, athletic performance, picky eating, infant and toddler feeding, and general healthy diets.

We see patients of all ages, socioeconomic status, race, and gender.

A Registered Dietitian (RD) is an expert in nutrition. RD’s hold at minimum a bachelor’s degree, have completed a dietetic internship of 1200 supervised practice hours, and have passed a national certification exam. It is required that RD’s also complete 75+ hours of continuing professional education credit every 5 years to maintain their credentials.

A “nutritionist” is less clearly defined. Someone with a Ph. D in nutrition can call themselves a nutritionist. Someone off the street with no nutrition education can also call themselves a nutritionist. The term “nutritionist” does not legally bind a person to specific certifications or credentials. It is important that you choose to work with someone who has extensive training to best meet your needs. All dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has recently approved the use of the new credential, “Registered Dietitian Nutritionist,” (RDN). The credentials of RD and RDN are interchangeable.

A CDCES, formerly known as a Certified Diabetes Educator or CDE, is a health professional who has comprehensive knowledge of and experience in diabetes prevention, prediabetes, diabetes management, ad cardiometabolic conditions. Prior to sitting the national certification exam, the individual must have two years practical experience with at least 1,000 hours in diabetes education. Our diabetes care and education specialists offer comprehensive education, personalized care and promote self-management skills. They are a healthcare provider who is your partner in managing your diabetes care and risks.

During the first appointment, we will decide on a follow-up schedule that works for you and takes your health needs and goals into consideration. For most patients, we ideally follow-up 1-3 weeks after your first appointment to monitor your progress and update your nutrition care or education plan. After that, we may meet every 2 weeks, once per month or 4-6 times per year, depending on what we decide when we create our individualized plan. For the Medicare Weight Loss Program, we will meet once per week for the first month and then about two to three times per month for the rest of the first six months. After six months, we will re-evaluate if you still meet criteria for the program and how often to meet.

We do offer virtual visits, but insurance coverage varies between plans. It is the patient’s responsibility to verify benefits with their insurance company. We do prefer that the patient’s initial appointment is done in-person, and the follow-ups can be performed virtually. Patients using virtual visits must also be located somewhere in the state of Missouri during the time of the visit.

Patients can be seen by one of our two registered dietitians M-F, 8am-5pm in the Kirksville office. Carrie offers appointments in Memphis on Tuesdays from 8am-3pm. Allison offers appointments in Edina on Thursdays from 9am-4pm.

Initial appointment is typically 60-90 minutes. Follow-up appointments vary between 15 – 60 minutes depending on multiple factors.

We offer free classes on varying topics throughout the year. Class registration can be coordinated through your registered dietitian nutritionist or diabetes care and education specialist. A monthly diabetes support group is offered the 3rd Thursday of each month from 12:00 – 12:45 at our Kirksville office. A monthly support group for our Medicare Weight Loss Program is offered on the 4th Friday from 10:30 – 11:30 am. Please follow us on Facebook at Northeast Missouri Health Council or sign-up for our bi-monthly newsletter to stay up to date on upcoming classes and programs.

Your first visit will begin with reviewing your completed medical forms, current food intake and preferences, health concerns, medical history, dietary supplement use, and talking about what your desired outcomes are. We will work together to create a nutrition plan, including nutrition counseling and education, that is personalized to your needs. Follow-up appointments will track your progress from a medical, physical, and emotional perspective to ensure that the tailored nutrition plan is working for you and will adjust as needed.

We may ask personal questions about your health to gather information that gives us an idea of your current nutritional status, lifestyle, and background. Some question we may ask that pertain to your: medical history, medication history, body composition, current dietary intake, eating patterns and habits, food and beverage preferences, food allergies and sensitivities, culture and food traditions, supplements and vitamins, challenges and obstacles, lifestyle and physical exercise, and behavior and mental health. The information you provide helps us personalize your nutrition and eating plan.

Your registered dietitian or diabetes care and education specialist will ask for information to identify areas where you need the most help. We will ask about your priorities related to your blood sugar goals and overall health goals. Together, you will develop an individualized education plan to meet your needs. Education will revolve around one or more of the self-care behaviors: healthy eating; monitoring; being active taking medication; problem solving; reducing risks or healthy coping. Items to bring to your appointment include at least a 24-hour food recall, home blood sugar readings, a list of medications, the most recent labs, and a list of questions you have about the management of your diabetes. Remember that there are no silly questions. Your educator will help you find answers and guide you to reliable sources.

We do not live in a bubble, so your long-term success relies on learning how to structure your plate based upon your health goals and metabolic health. We believe our job is to help you discover eating decisions that are right for you. Long-term changes happen over a few months, not in a week or two with a meal plan. Sometimes before we even change what you eat, we need to address your relationship with food first to help with long term success. We want our clients to be self-sufficient, confident in their choices and successful for the rest of their lives. If you are a client that enjoys structure, then we will help you develop your own eating plan by teaching you about nutrition and providing you practical tips that are personalized to you.

For many clients, we solely focus on how to make habit changes. Changing habits is not easy but we are here to guide you to ensure changes feel realistic and sustainable.

Yes! To provide the most comprehensive care possible, we will communicate and collaborate with the referring provider and other pre-approved members of your healthcare team.