Daisy M. Salort Discusses the Importance of Patient Education in Dietetics with Cambridge Who's Who

For many, to control a medical condition is as easy as taking a pill. For others, however - those with diabetes or kidney disease - much more is required to control symptoms. We don't often think about the role that food plays in our heath, other than when we try to squeeze into our bathing suits in the summer or when we're short of breath walking up stairs. But for Cambridge Who’s Who member Daisy M. Salort, food and nutrition is all she thinks about for the health of her patients—something she has been doing for over 48 years.

On July 23rd, 2008, she became a member of the staff of Montefiore Medical Center's North Division when the institution took over Our Lady of Mercy Medical Center. She now serves as the facility's expert dietitian on diabetes and dialysis. "The function of a dietitian," Ms. Salort noted, "is to nutritionally assess patients—assess [their] hydration status, metabolic status and chemical status, and then implement education and follow up."

In addition to her work at Montefiore, Ms. Salort acts as a home consultant nutritionist for various programs. She also works with pregnant women enrolled in the prenatal program. As much a teacher as she is a nutrition specialist, she stresses the importance of patient education. "The most important thing that I teach patients is self-management: to know about the disease and [understand] how to control it." Committed to the health of her patients, Ms. Salort feels that her years of hard work have paid off in volumes, both in her professional life and in the lives of her patients. Her motto, as she tells it, is: "Live your life and think out of the box. Take risks. I have been doing that all [of] my life."

Ms. Daisy Salort can be contacted via email: dsalort@montefiore.org or phone: (718) 920-9041.