MCHD’s nutritional counseling can help you in the new year

Dec. 23, 2024

By Mary Wade Burnside

As the new year approaches and with reports that some health insurances are dropping weight management programs, it’s a good time to remind the community that one of the new services offered at Monongalia County Health Department in 2024 is nutritional counseling.
MCHD rolled out this program during the summer, with nutritionists Cami Haught and Jason Nguyen providing counseling to address a variety of issues, including weight management, diabetes, heart health, eating disorders and more.
“We’ve been really excited to help our clients think about food in a new way and reach attainable goals,” said Haught, who also serves as the MCHD WIC program director.
The services are offered by the health department but Haught and Nguyen work as nutritionists for MCHD WIC, which oversees the federally-funded nutrition program in a six county area: Monongalia, Preston, Marion, Harrison, Doddridge and Taylor.
A comprehensive — but not necessarily complete — list of conditions that Haught and Nguyen can address through nutritional counseling include kidney disease, chewing and swallowing difficulties, cancer, food allergies, GI problems and sensory issues, in addition to weight management.
Haught wanted to showcase these services again with the news that some weight management programs that have been provided by health insurance companies have been eliminated.
At MCHD, individuals with insurance or Medicaid can be billed but those without can also get treatment.
“We offer a sliding scale fee for those who are uninsured or underinsured,” Haught said. “We would look at their finances to see what their responsibilities would be for their payment.” Individuals also need a referral from a physician.
While a new year can be a good time to take stock and consider implementing some changes, Haught has some very specific thoughts about resolutions.
“The advice I usually give about New Year’s goals is that they have to be attainable,” she said. “You can’t set a goal or resolution such as, ‘I’m going to lose 80 pounds in six months.’”
Instead, she advises, “Let’s look at small changes that you can make, and why don’t we try increasing activity from one day a week to three. People who set small goals can achieve a lot. Most people start a New Year’s resolution and by the end of January, they are done.”
Another example of a small goal would be to reduce the number of fast food meals that are consumed in one week, maybe from three down to one. “You will see weight loss when you meet those goals automatically.”
Both Haught and Nguyen have extensive backgrounds as dietitian nutritionists that have provided them well-rounded experiences.
Haught started out as a clinical nutritionist at WVU Hospitals, where she spent 14 years treating a wide range of patients. She worked in pediatrics and at Chestnut Ridge Center, where she saw psychiatric patients.
Before she became program director of MCHD WIC in 2020, Haught also spent seven years at WVU as the campus dietitian.
“We provided free nutritional counseling to all WVU students,” she said. “I saw a lot of things. Weight management issues, eating disorders and food allergies were the big three.”
Nguyen has 18 years of experience as a nutritional dietitian. He has both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in human nutrition and foods as well as a 1,200-hour-plus dietetic internship with a community focus.
Nguyen uses gentle care and positivity to encourage others to succeed with living healthy lifestyles, he noted. His treatment spans the life cycle, from children to adults, pregnancy and geriatric care.”
“Throughout my career, I’ve worked with children and adults with various nutrition-related illnesses and diseases, eating and swallowing disorders, wound care, weight and diabetes management, among other conditions,” he said.
To make an appointment, call 304-598-5181. For more information, check out this link.
Mary Wade Burnside is the public information officer at Monongalia County Health Department.