For nutritionist Tara Mardigan, healthy options are a home run
As one of six senior dietitians who supervise the nutrition needs of patients during and after their treatment at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center (DF/BWCC), Tara Mardigan, MS, MPH, RD, delivers care as part of a team. What she didn't anticipate, however, is that she'd one day be in a similar role with another team – one with guys named Manny, Papi, Curt, and Coco.
In addition to her DF/BWCC position, Mardigan is also team nutritionist for the Boston Red Sox, helping select the foods and eating plans to keep players at their physical and mental peak through a rigorous 162-game baseball season as well as playoff contests. The dual role often requires working a normal day shift at Dana-Farber and then heading down the street to Fenway Park for a Red Sox night game, but she doesn't mind the extended hours.
"In both my jobs, I'm helping people make choices that will hopefully make them feel and function better," says Mardigan. "Cancer patients get a lot of misinformation about what can improve their condition, and I strive to help them understand which options are best. With baseball players, the goal is to show them that nutrition is a key variable when it comes to on-field performance and avoiding injury."
On staff with the Nutritional Services Department of DF/BWCC since late 2004, Mardigan is part of a close-knit group including fellow senior dietitians Anne Chiavacci, MS, MA, RD, Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, LDN, Stephanie Meyers, MS, RD, LDN, Brooke Whinnem, RD, LDN, CNSD, and Hillary Wright, MEd, RD, LDN, who work with physicians, nurses, and other caregivers to aid outpatients with a variety of cancers and related nutrition concerns/needs.
Some people undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment, for instance, may lose their appetite due to nausea, constipation, fatigue, or other side effects, while others – especially head and neck cancer patients – are unable to eat solid foods. Nutritionists tailor plans to meet each individual's needs and preferences while also helping him or her regain strength and ward off infection. In addition, Mardigan and her colleagues are experts on "cancer-fighting" foods and over-the counter supplements now filling the marketplace.
"Someone may come in to meet you, put a bottle of pills on the counter, and say, 'Can this help me?'" says Kathy McManus, MS, RD, director of nutrition for DF/BWCC and a 27-year veteran in the field. "An experienced nutritionist has the education and ability to answer truthfully. You need to be respectful of peoples' choices, but also make sure they are safe and scientifically sound."
'Positive force'
Mardigan has had excellent training for her DF/BWCC position, including stints as a dietitian at both Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women's hospitals and master's degrees in science and nutrition and public health from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Like McManus, Dana-Farber physicians agree the role Mardigan and all nutritionists play in oncology care has increased dramatically.
"When you're on chemo, radiation, or antibodies, you need to be aware of what you're putting into your mouth so it doesn't impair that therapy," says David Rosenthal, MD, medical director of Dana-Farber's Leonard P. Zakim Center for Integrative Therapies. He calls Mardigan and her colleagues "a remarkable team;" Marshall Posner, MD, director of Dana-Farber's Head and Neck Cancer Treatment Center, agrees: "They are a huge positive force in our clinic."
Mardigan's impact has also been felt in her Red Sox role, which began on a freelance basis when she happened to meet team president and CEO Larry Lucchino at a charity event several years ago. When he signed with the Sox in November 2003, pitcher Curt Schilling had the club fly Mardigan out to Arizona within a few weeks to help him set up an off-season nutrition plan. Since then, she's assisted several other players in modifying their eating habits.
On staff with the club since January 2006, she attends most home games to meet with players and make sure grilled chicken, steamed vegetables, and other healthful options are available in the team dining room. She even visits Red Sox minor league affiliates throughout New England to help younger athletes develop strong eating habits. "Most clubhouses don't have the selection we do, and it's a privilege to have the opportunity to make better choices," says former Sox outfielder Gabe Kapler. "It's a blessing for all of us to have Tara here."
Patients agree. "My diet is very restricted right now, but Tara has been wonderful at helping me figure out what I can eat, like certain thick-skinned fruits and soy products," says Anne Forgit, a leukemia patient and recent bone marrow transplant recipient. "She's monitoring my weight and blood, and is very understanding about the fact that sometimes I just don't feel like eating. And, of course, it's great talking to her about the Red Sox."
— Saul Wisnia
Saul_Wisnia@dfci.harvard.edu
