Presidents Letter in The Economist

September 23, 2022 - The letter below, from Academy President (2022-23) Ellen R. Shanley, MBA, RDN, CDN, FAND, was published by The Economist (subscription required), following an article in the publication on recent improvements in hospital food for patients.

More than 30 percent of patients in the United States experience malnutrition. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is involved in a comprehensive series of initiatives to address this, from local hospitals to shaping federal government policy. At the heart of our work is the Malnutrition Quality Improvement Initiative, or MQii, a collaborative work, which is improving care and outcomes for hospitalized adults aged 65 and older by providing a series of nutrition-focused resources. All patients in hospitals and medical centers, and all members of their health care teams, rely daily on the thousands of registered dietitian nutritionists who provide life-saving nutrition-related care, and who should be acknowledged for their significant contributions to America's health.