Ryan Davis on the left is the CEO of Dietitians OnDemand. Alex Taylor on the right is a project manager who oversees direct expansion to consumers. ((((Photo of Philip Demot).
Note: This story has been updated to clarify that consumer services are virtually offered to clients.
Henrico-based company, which provides on-demand nutritionists to medical institutions, now also provides nutritionists to individual clients.
At the beginning of June, Dietitians On Demand launched a new direct sales service quietly. In this service, nutritionists effectively meet clients and guide their dietary and nutritional needs. This service is intended as an alternative to searching the web for personal health.
Located in 7814 Carousel Lane, the company employs four full-time nutritionists for this service and plans to hire up to 12 more.
According to project manager Alex Taylor, the service has responded satisfactorily since its launch last month.
“People at home don’t always have time to sort out facts and fiction (online),” Taylor said. “Nutritionists can survive the noise.”
Virtual sessions are booked from the company website. The initial booking is priced at $ 150 and clients can continue to serve by purchasing the package for a few hundred dollars. The specific price depends on the package.
The 32-year-old Taylor compared the setup to the personal trainer setup and worked one-on-one with the individual.
Founded 17 years ago by Alicia Davis, Dietitians OnDemand is headed by Alicia’s husband, CEO Ryan Davis. He explains that the role of a dietitian is often misunderstood or oversimplified. He argues that clinical dietitians can make a significant difference to those who are experiencing fundamental health changes such as chemotherapy and the diagnosis of diabetes.
Alicia founded the company after observing that consulting nutritionists earned more than they played part-time roles in local hospitals. As she joined the consulting space, she began to get more work than she could handle and realized that the hospital was facing a shortage of nutritionists.
Dietitians who have worked for the company for more than 10 years are placed on a special wall in the office.
The couple saw this problem as an opportunity and began looking for a position by matching organizations such as hospitals and obstetric wards with nutritionists. With no external investment, the company was founded in 2005, became a state-owned enterprise in 2013, and obtained license agreements in other states.
Davis estimates that the company has assigned 600 nutritionists last year, from practitioners who have been in the company for more than 10 years to others who occasionally use the service.
With operations in most parts of the United States, Taylor said the company has given nutritionists a task that may require them to travel nationwide, making it a particularly advantageous company for young nutritionists and retirees. It has become. To be able to do this, the company must meet the license agreements of each state.
“State licenses continue to be the biggest hurdle (competitors) face,” Taylor said.
Explaining the alternative as a matter of endangering a dietitian’s license, Davis added, “I see people ignoring it because they say’well, it’s telemedicine.'”
COVID-19 changed the medical environment, creating a new focus on the company’s home care. Between March and September 2020, the company saw a significant decline in revenue. This is due to Davis’ suspension of selective surgery.
However, he found that many full-time nutritionists were pulling towards his company in search of change from hospital life.
“There are Instagram influencers in the nutritionist space who worked for us and shared their stories about traveling the country,” Davis said. “They like to partner with a company that was founded by nutritionists and focused on nutritionists, and they are really there to defend their profession.”
He said the company is accelerating its pace towards 55% growth this year.
A clinical dietitian ensures that patients being treated or suffering from health are getting the nutrients they need.
Apart from the expanded career opportunities it offers, a new focus on private care was also motivated by what Davis described as increasing restrictions on patient care in healthcare institutions. According to Davis, COVID-19 motivated hospitals to reduce spending.
“Unfortunately, many outpatient services have been reduced,” he said, explaining the frequent practice of releasing patients with information sheets instead of practical assistance. Similarly, nutrition services have limited coverage, such as Medicare, he added.
“We hope that (Dietitians On Demand) will be a resource for newly diagnosed people,” Davis said.
Prior to approaching consumers directly, DietitiansOnDemand didn’t have to deal with insurance in terms of staffing, according to Davis. Despite the time-consuming application process, he sees the company accepting insurance issues as a dietitian’s value proposition. Employers can fully focus on helping their customers without having to deal with the financial and bureaucratic aspects of the profession. My practice.
The company also provides education and information materials to nutritionists. Dietitians are required to obtain 75 hours of education credits over 5 years to maintain their certification. As a certified provider, Dietitians On Demand provides educational resources for dietitians to be recertified and continue to be informed about the industry.
Despite increasing demand for dietitians, Davis said staff shortages could continue as the process of becoming a dietitian becomes more difficult. Originally, up-and-coming practitioners had to have a bachelor’s degree and a one-year internship. Davis found that they are currently unable to proceed without a master’s degree and are facing a limited number of internship opportunities.
Davis said he was encouraged to expand the company’s networking services to other healthcare areas such as nursing, but said the plan was to keep the company focused on nutritionists.
Looking to the future, Davis said he envisions more preventive efforts and encourages a healthier lifestyle for Dietitians On Demand.
Taylor added: “Like mental health, I want people to talk seriously about nutrition and its impact on overall health. It affects everything.”
