UP Health System – Portage Reintroduce Registered Dietitians and Expand Nutrition and Wellness Services in the Copper Country

Providing comprehensive and unique lifestyle changes to meet your overall nutrition and health goals.

UP Health System – Portage is pleased to announce exciting developments to our Registered Dietitian team. We are expanding the nutrition and wellness services, and welcoming new team member Ian McKenzie, RD, who will be joining colleagues Taylor Paul, RDN, and Shana Roth, RDN.

Your diet can have a huge impact on your health, and making the right nutritional choices can be overwhelming. If you are looking to improve your diet, make changes to better accommodate a chronic disease (such as diabetes or heart disease), or improve your overall health goals, getting a referral to one of our registered dietitians may be in your best interest.

Ian McKenzie, RD, CNSC, received his Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics from Michigan State University. He then completed his internship at Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina, and most recently became a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician in tube feeding and intravenous nutrition.

“The welcoming and small-town community is truly what drew me to the Upper Peninsula to begin my practice. I am excited to share my knowledge and expertise with my patients and to build lasting relationships with every one of them. “

Taylor Paul, RDN, earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. After completing her education and training, she returned home to serve the community she grew up in.

“As a Copper Country Native, I am grateful to have the opportunity to share and educate the community about the power of food at UP Health System – Portage. As a nutrition expert, I strive to meet the patient exactly where they are at to help identify an individualized nutrition plan of care. That is the beauty of nutrition – there is not a ‘one size fits all’ and I am here to decipher what that looks like for each individual.”

Shana Roth, RDN, earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Western Michigan University, followed by an internship at Edwards Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Shana has been in the practice of nutrition and wellness for the past 18 years.

“I love the Upper Peninsula and its beauty – my husband and I are grateful to have the opportunity to raise our family here and truly experience the small-town vibe. My focus is my patient's well-being and providing them with all the tools and resources they need to have successful outcomes long-term.”

With the expansion of outpatient nutrition services at UP Health System – Portage, patients will no longer have wait times and will be able to schedule their appointment much quicker – with the focus of enhancing the quality of care close to home.

“I am incredibly proud of our organization’s commitment to providing and expanding nutrition and wellness services right here in the Upper Peninsula,” said Angela Luskin, Community Health Coordinator, UP Health System – Portage. “This will allow our dietitians to make a unique lifestyle change for the patients we serve long-term and continue making communities healthier.”

Our team of dietitians specializes in managing lifestyle changes to meet diet goals, coordinating nutritional needs based on medical concerns including cancer, celiac disease, diabetes and/or pre-diabetes, eating disorders, heart disease, kidney disease, food allergies and glucose monitoring.

To see a registered dietitian, a referral from your primary care provider is recommended. Nutrition and wellness visits are offered Monday – Friday 8 – 4:30 pm located at 500 Campus Drive, suite 4. For more information about nutrition and wellness services at UP Health System – Portage, visit UPHealthSystem.com/Nutrition-Wellness.