Lindsay Ducharme started her career as a dietitian in 2009. In 2014, she found her passion for kidney nutrition while working at a dialysis center. A year later, she joined the National Kidney Foundation’s (NKF) CRN, Council on Renal Nutrition for continuing education courses and has since enjoyed the supportive community of kidney dietitians. Today, Lindsay is the Chair of her local chapter.
Helping through Diet
Lindsay found a strong sense of purpose in her dialysis center work.
“Proper nutrition is important for people on dialysis. It can really improve their quality of life,” Lindsay said. “In my other jobs, I didn’t feel valued. At the dialysis center, I was an important part of the team. The nurses, doctors, and social workers respected me and my professional opinion.”
In 2021, Lindsay decided to expand her work to reach more people.
“I still work with the dialysis clinic once a week, but now I spend most of my time at my private dietitian practice,” she said. “I use Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to help people with non-dialysis kidney disease slow down the progression of their disease. Medicare and most insurance plans cover MNT.”
Once MNT is prescribed by a doctor, a patient is referred to a Registered Dietitian who creates a plan tailored to their needs. Medicare currently covers MNT for people with diabetes and non-dialysis kidney disease. Transplant recipients have access to MNT for 36 months after their transplant.
For Lindsay, this work is especially meaningful because it challenges common myths about kidney diets. “There are a lot of outdated or confusing diet tips out there,” Lindsay said. “Many patients think a kidney diet will take away all the foods they love. It’s the opposite. I work with my clients to help them enjoy their favorite foods in a kidney-friendly way.”
MNT Success Story
One success story stands out to Lindsay. “A doctor referred a patient with polycystic kidney disease to me. He was hesitant because he had been trying diet tips from the internet for years, and his GFR kept dropping,” she said. “I was the first registered dietitian he had ever seen.”
He and Lindsay worked together to create a customized diet plan. “His eGFR was in the mid-40s when we started. After just three months, it increased to almost 60,” Lindsay said.
Success stories like this inspire Lindsay to keep learning and growing her practice so she can help more people. Nutrition is key to managing kidney disease. Learn more about food and kidneys.
Local Chapter Work
Lindsay’s involvement with CRN has been a big part of her growth as a dietitian.
“My local chapter is a great resource for continuing education (CE) credits. We have two meetings a year to discuss patient resources and decide on the topics we want to learn about. These ideas shape our annual conference, where dietitians can earn up to five CE credits.”
In 2022, Lindsay found more ways to get involved in her chapter.
“Our chapter needed volunteers to help organize the annual conference. I signed up and loved it. After that, I ran for Chair-elect and won,” she said. “I even organized one of our meetings at the NKF Kidney Walk.”
Lindsay and her chapter members formed a team for the Kidney Walk, raising awareness and money to support NKF’s mission.
“It’s such an inspiring day. It feels good to raise money for our patients and NKF,” Lindsay said. “We offer great resources for both patients and dietitians.” These resources will soon be available for nephrology and dialysis offices in New England in six languages: Spanish, Haitian Creole, French, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, and Khmer.
“The partnership between NKF and dietitians helps ensure patients get the best, up-to-date information on nutrition therapy,” said Lindsay.
Want to make a difference? Learn more about NKF Local Chapters.
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