Nutrition and Weight Management
Existing Patients
Make an appointment by phone
617.638.7470
Make an appointment with MyChart
Book with MyChart
Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
New Patients
To be seen by a member of our team you will need a referral from your primary care physician (PCP) with a medical diagnosis.
If your PCP is located on the BMC campus or at an associated community health center using Epic, referrals to the Nutrition and Weight Management Center can be placed through Epic.
Otherwise, referrals can be faxed to the BMC Referral Center at (617) 638-6756.
Our office will contact you upon receipt of the referral.
Refer a Patient
Refer a patient
Fax referral information to 617.638.7449
Call for assistance with the referral process
617.638.7470
Please send a referral that specifies a diagnosis and/or type of nutritional counseling desired.
If you are located on the BMC campus or at an associated community health center using Epic, the referral should be sent via Epic. Otherwise, the referral can be faxed to the BMC Referral Center at (617) 638-6756. Please do not hesitate to contact our clinic at (617) 638-7470 for assistance with the referral process.
Our office will contact the patient upon receipt of the referral in order to schedule an appointment.
Please note that while many health insurance plans cover or partially cover medical nutrition therapy some do not cover visits with a dietitian or will only cover visits for specific diagnoses. For instance, Medicare will only allow dietitian visits for diabetes or chronic renal insufficiency. Please have your patient contact his/her insurance company to learn details about their specific coverage.
If your patient does not have insurance, or if their insurance will not cover dietitian visits, they have the option to self pay at the time of the visit. Please direct the patient to contact Patient Financial Services at 725 Albany Street, Suite 3C (617) 414-5155 prior to their scheduled appointment for further details.
The Nutrition and Weight Management Program at Boston Medical Center is an integral part of the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes, Nutrition and Weight Management. The Center offers state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment services for nutritional disorders and weight management for adults age 18 and older.
Obesity is a chronic and complex disease with multiple therapeutic options. The Medical Weight Management Team supports all people seeking comprehensive care for obesity. We include a team of obesity medicine physicians, bariatric surgeons, endocrinologist, nurse practitioners, clinical social worker, and registered dieticians who specialize in a comprehensive, knowledgeable, empathetic, and personalized approach to each patient.
Our commitment is to long term meaningful weight loss success .We incorporate the spectrum of interventions including lifestyle interventions, medically supervised weight loss plans with pharmacotherapy and weight loss surgery. Our commitment is each individual and their needs; providing care without exception.
Contact Us
2nd Floor
Preston Family Building 617.638.7470 Fax: 617.638.7449
Programs and Services
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Medical Weight Management
Weight Loss Surgery (Bariatric Surgery)
Malnutrition and Nutrition Support
Our Team
Providers
Ivania M Rizo, MD
Dong Wook Kim, MD
Eric Nolen-Doerr, MD
Special Interests
Diabetes, weight management, malnutrition, metabolic syndrome
Kavita Sharma, MD
Denise Wong, MD
Kristen Spain, NP
Tina Yiu, NP
Registered Dietitians
Stephanie Chen, MS, RD, LDN
Joanne Keaveney
Jessica Peters
Sarah Veber
Research Support Staff
Astrid Atakov Castilla
Sindhu Kosuru
Robert Seitter
Patient Resources
Nutrition and Weight Management Patient Information
Provider Resources
Referring a Patient to the Nutrition and Weight Management Program
Free Virtual Patient Orientation Session
For most weight management patients, the first appointment will be a virtual group class taught by one of the Registered Dietitians. The class will introduce eating strategies to help you make sustainable lifestyle changes. Following the virtual class, patients will meet with an obesity medicine specialist and dietitian individually to assess immediate and long-term nutrition needs and create an individualized plan. This plan will take into account any potential medical issues, as well as personal lifestyle choices. Subsequent appointments will be scheduled as needed to assess progress, provide support and additional counseling, or to modify the plan.
Research Overview
Our weight management and nutrition team is actively engaged in research including obesity and fatty liver disease and therapies for short bowel syndrome. We provide many opportunities for patients to participate in clinical trials.
Education and Training
Our Nutrition and Metabolic Disease fellowship is a one year training program focusing on obesity medicine and clinical nutrition support. The training applies evidence-based medicine while supporting continuity and access to care for a diverse population. Fellows will have training in the multifaceted management of obesity including lifestyle based therapy, pharmacotherapy, and pre- and post-operative assessment and management of adult patients accessing bariatric surgery treatment. Additionally, they will gain experience in nutrition support care that includes inpatient and outpatient management of malnutrition, enteral nutrition, and total parenteral nutrition (TPN). We invite you to learn more about our program.
