Food Nutrition Services

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Food and Nutrition Services

Meet our Registered Dietitians

Sara Wade MS, RD, LDN – Food and Nutrition Services Director

  • Nutrition Education Specialist
  • Level 1 Diabetes Educator
  • Level 2 Weight Management Certificate

Kathleen Baran MS, RD, LDN – Clinical Dietitian

  • Pediatric Practice Emphasis
  • Level 1 Diabetes Educator
  • Level 2 Weight Management Certificate

Working with Our Dietitians

Adhering to a diet that meets your specific nutritional needs can be difficult. Researching the pros and cons of various types of food and keeping track of all the serving sizes can feel overwhelming, which is why we are here to help. At Kirby Medical Center, you can work our registered dietitians to create a healthy, customized diet and activity plan to assist you in meeting your overall health goals.

With a doctor’s referral, you can receive individual medical nutrition therapy, diabetes education, or general nutrition education that fit your lifestyle and future health goals.

Eating plans designed for:

  • Gaining or losing weight
  • Diabetes
  • Gastrointestinal issues
  • Food allergies
  • Kidney disease
  • Cancer
  • During and after pregnancy

Your insurance or Medicare plan may cover certain nutritional services. Call your insurance and ask about what services are covered in your plan. Kirby Medical Center also offers an “out of pocket/prompt pay” payment if your insurance does not cover the visit. Please call 217-762-1566 to discuss this option.​

Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Obesity

If excess weight is taking a toll on your health, turn to Kirby Medical Center for help. Our new wellness program, Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Obesity, is specifically designed for individuals with a BMI of 30 or higher – offering ongoing counseling and support to help program participants meet their weight-loss goals.

Building Your New Healthy Lifestyle

To create your personalized plan, the dietitian will perform a comprehensive nutritional assessment including past medical history, food, and activity analysis, biometric measurements, and current support system to assist you in achieving your best health. With our dietitian, you will receive support with:

  • Prioritizing your health goals
  • Instilling healthier eating habits
  • Creating a meal plan if needed
  • Learning what to look for on nutrition labels
  • Recreating favorite recipes to fit your healthy lifestyle
  • Understanding your lab work results
  • Tracking weight and activity toward your desired goal

Service Hours & Dates

  • Dietitian Availability
    • By appointment: Monday – Friday. To make an appointment, ask your primary physician for a referral and we will schedule you!
  • The Apple a Day Café
    • The Apple a Day Café is located at the end of the main promenade of Kirby Medical Center. Menus are posted daily at the Welcome Desk and the dining area offering healthy choices and a wide variety of meal and snack options.
    • Breakfast: 6:30 – 9:30 AM
      Lunch: 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
      Open with Grab & Go items and beverages from 6:30 AM to 3:00 PM
  • Contact Information:
    • Mary Stilley – Assistant Food and Nutrition Services Director
      Kirby Medical Center
      1000 Medical Center Drive
      Monticello, IL 61856
      217-762-1903

Diabetes Text Program

Patient Success Stories

February 2, 2017

"February 2, 2017. After two months no energy and losing weight I visited my primary care physician for a check over. The news came back that diabetes was a new reality in my life. I had been warned years before to watch my carb intake, but never felt bad and kept eating whatever and whenever I felt like it.

The usual cocktail of medications was prescribed, no insulin thankfully, a suggestion to attend the Kirby Health dietary planning sessions was offered. I had attended years before and known it would be beneficial and a good refresher course. Plus an opportunity to see what had changed.

Kathleen Baran is my new dietitian. We meet and greet, she does the usual assessment of my health, shares results of the tests that were done, we discuss my terrible eating habits and shares what I can do with diet and exercise to put this behind me. Most impressive was the meal plans she shared. Each meal with several serving suggestions, a carb count that will make the goals we set, even some snacks to take the edge off of those between meal cravings. She asked if I could work with what we came up with. "Yes. I have no choice. The games are over."

Two follow up visits were scheduled consisting of review and adjustments. She had me log what I had consumed daily, looked over those items, and assured me it was all good. We watched my numbers slowly drop on the test meter. It was working!

We still keep in touch, I share the 3 month A1C with her, any questions I have are answered promptly. It's been a smooth transition.

Six months later, my numbers are those of a normal person. Over 50 pounds of weight loss. Energy levels are up. I sleep better. Even some aches and pains have gone away. Vision has improved, the list goes on.

Sincere thanks to Kathleen and the staff at Kirby Medical Center for the life-changing status of my health. You showed me the way to a quality lifestyle in the most professional and compassionate way imaginable."

February 1, 2017

"My primary care provider sent me to see Kathleen Baran, the dietitian, at Kirby Medical Center on February 1, 2017. We agreed on a 9 carbohydrate per day diet. The first week, my weight went up and down. After that, it started to show up in the pounds I was losing. By two weeks, I had lost 2.4 pounds. My weakness is sweet items. By reading the nutrition facts on products, I learned to satisfy my sweet tooth. I never read the nutrition facts label before and I noticed a lot of food I was eating was way too much. Realizing I need to read the label to decide exactly what the serving portion is, I finally got the idea of counting carbohydrates. Being on a carbohydrate counting weight program means you need to make better choices and perhaps smaller portions. In 9 months, I have lost 36.8 pounds. I am thankful to Kathleen. She opened my eyes to how and what to eat. I’m pretty sure I will follow this diet plan for the rest of my life. My recommendation is to see Kathleen and get on a low carb diet, never get discouraged, and never say “I can’t”, because you can!"