Bloomington dietitian has a heart for dietetics

Karyn Valentine’s journey as a licensed dietitian and registered dietitian nutritionist started over 30 years ago when she worked in the legacy Bloomington Hospital kitchen while in college.

Now, she’s a Values Leadership Award (VLA) winner who’s dedicated to helping patients and her team however she can with her expert knowledge.

“I first became interested in nutrition/dietetics after finding that a career path in mathematics and optometry wasn't a great fit,” she shares. “I enrolled in a nutrition course early in my college career, where I developed a passion for learning more about nutrition and its impact on health, as well as its role in supporting physical and emotional well-being.”

Through a college internship and subsequent work at a diabetes camp for children, she learned the value of education and nutrition in supporting youths and their families.

Now, Valentine serves patients and team members in the South Region in a variety of ways and earned a VLA in the IU Health Medical Group Professional Team Member category for her efforts, which include:

• Providing educational services to patients in Bedford and Bloomington, including individual and group diabetes education and medical nutrition therapy for most chronic health conditions.
• Serving as the team lead for the regional Nutrition and Diabetes team and the quality coordinator for Diabetes Accreditation, which allows the team to provide and obtain reimbursement for diabetes education.
• Conducting weekly Gestational Diabetes classes for patients and checking in with them until they deliver, if needed.
• Supporting nutrition and diabetes education for Bloomington Advanced Heart Care unit heart failure patients and the care team, as well as providing consultations to the cardiopulmonary rehab patients, as her time allows.

“She cares deeply and strives to help every patient and co-worker to recognize their potential and that they are doing good,” says her VLA nomination letter. “She does all of this and is happy and joyful, never complaining and always downplaying what she does throughout the day for her patients and co-workers.”