Staff Forum Nutrition Group Going Strong at GSDM
Since January 2015, a Staff Forum Nutrition Group at the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) has been meeting monthly to talk about nutrition and overall wellness. The group, which was started by Development and Alumni Coordinator Leslie Caiola, has grown from a small gathering of coworkers in the Robinson Building—where Ms. Caiola’s office is located—to a staff-wide organization with more than 20 committed members across the GSDM community.
Since the Staff Forum Nutrition Group began in January, there have been eight meetings, which take place about once a month and involve a presentation about a different health and wellness topic as well as a question and answer session, and a discussion. The meetings, which take place around lunch time, last about an hour and always include healthy—delicious—food options for attendees to snack on.
Ms. Caiola says she started the Staff Forum Nutrition Group to create a place for GSDM staff members to come together and have honest productive conversations about nutrition and, most importantly, overall wellness and methods for a healthy life.
“I noticed a need to bring members of our GSDM community together to have a conversation around nutrition, and more importantly, overall wellness,” said Ms. Caiola. “Everyone has knowledge to share, fascinating questions I want to help answer, and an eagerness to help and support one another. It is about improving health, but also strengthening our community.”
The first meetings of the Staff Forum Nutrition Group consisted only of GSDM staff members located in the Robinson Building who would meet in the building’s conference room during lunch. The meetings started off as a place for coworkers who wanted to join a dialogue about nutrition during their lunch break.
During these first meetings, Ms. Caiola prepared presentations on different topics. These included: the health and wellness support services offered by Boston University, the science behind sugar, the navigating of diet trends, and the demystifying of ingredients in popular food items.
But after the first three meetings, Ms. Caiola began to receive interest about the group from staff members not located in the Robinson Building. It was at this point she reached out to the Staff Forum—which she is now a representative body for the staff—and asked for the Staff Nutrition Group to be made an official, Staff Forum-sponsored group.
“I approached the Staff Forum and asked if I could create a group, and offer this to the entire staff,” said Ms. Caiola. “It was very well received and the school has been very supportive.”
After the nutrition group became open to the entire staff, Ms. Caiola decided to take full advantage of the resources of the Boston University community. She began to reach out to health professionals in the community that would be willing to give presentations during the meetings.
According to Ms. Caiola, the response she got from the Boston University community—as well as other area health professionals she reached out to—was encouraging.
“When I reached out to Joan Salge Blake at Sargent College and Dr. Caroline Apovian at Boston Medical Center, they were both incredibly enthusiastic about the group and excited to have a conversation about speaker possibilities. Janine Lipsky, a fellow staff member at GSDM who has a MPH, also reached out to get involved and we are now working together to organize speakers,” said Ms. Caiola.
At each of the five meetings of the Staff Nutrition Group that followed—the most recent one taking place on September 14—area health and wellness professional presented guest lectures about various topics.
The first guest speaker, Ms. Joan Salge Blake MS, RD, LDN, presented during a meeting in April. Blake is a Clinical Associate Professor at Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. She is also the author of several educational books about nutrition including: Nutrition & You; Nutrition & You: Core Concepts to Good Health; and Nutrition: From Science to You. Ms. Blake is also an American Dietetic Association Media Spokesperson and Nutrition Expert for Boston University. She has a wellness column on Boston.com.
At the May meeting of the Staff Forum Nutrition Group, Ms. Sirena Bernal, a local nutrition and lifestyle coach, and contributor to bostonmagazine.com, gave a presentation entitled: “The Quickest and Easiest Meal Planning Strategy for Better Energy and Sustainable Fat Loss.”
Finally, the three most recent meetings all featured Ms. Kenya D. Palmer MS, MSN, FNP-BC, CSCS, Nurse Practitioner in Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition and Weight Management at Boston Medical Center. Ms. Palmer did a three part series of lectures. The three lectures were:
- “Lifestyle Management: Finding Joy in the Process”
- “Exercise: Back to Basics”
- “Nutrition for Exercise”
Ms. Caiola says she is happy with the growth of the Staff Nutrition Group and is excited to continue to foster a community among the GSDM Staff in which anyone interested in health and wellness can come together for educational presentations and productive dialogue.
Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter said the Staff Forum Nutrition Group serves a valuable role at GSDM, and that Ms. Caiola deserves praise for her initiative.
“The Staff Forum Nutrition Group is a wonderful resource for all GSDM staff interested in overall wellness and improvement of one’s health,” said Dean Hutter. “Ms. Caiola has done an outstanding job in creating and organizing the group, which I am sure will continue to grow in membership while also serving to strengthen the GSDM and BUMC communities.”
The next meeting will be held in November. For more information check the Staff Forum Nutrition Group webpage or simply contact Ms. Caiola directly. Ms. Caiola can be reached via email at Lesliec@bu.edu and via phone at 617-638-4891.