The Philippine Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (PhilSPEN) was organized with the main goal of improving patient care through correct and appropriate implementation of nutritional management to in-patient, out-patient, or intermediate-care patients by using a multidisciplinary approach to nutrition management, which includes the correct and appropriate use of enteral and parenteral nutrition.
PhilSPEN hopes to promote the progress of clinical nutrition research and practice in the Philippines and, with the future collaboration with the Asia Pacific and international community of clinical nutrition societies, promote “best practice in nutrition management” in both hospital and out-patient setting.
To be able to provide correct and adequate nutrition therapy to the patient whether in or outpatient through a multidisciplinary approach using the current and best practice of nutrition management
To be able to empower all members of the multidisciplinary nutrition support caregivers through continuing medical education either through seminars, symposiums, or invited experts or through a formal clinical nutrition training program.
To be able to establish nutrition teams in every major medical center of the country by the year 2020.
To be able to establish a clinical nutrition training program which satisfies all international standard requirements with a specialty credentialing body making sure there is the highest quality of graduates from this program by the year 2009
To be able to obtain just compensation for the caregivers and patients given nutritional support from the national and private health insurance systems.
The delivery of nutrition therapy is a multidisciplinary, specialized practice which is utilized for almost all types of patients and extends beyond the hospital into alternative care sites such as long-term care facilities and homes. Differences in hospital size, patient population, healthcare delivery setting, local expertise, organizational structure and financial payment relationships indicate that there cannot be a single safe and effective system for providing nutrition services unless it is within a multidisciplinary setting. Certain clinical activities are generally expected to reside in specific departments however in order to fully achieve optimum care for the patient a team is needed.
One well-established model for providing nutrition management is the Nutrition Team (NST for Nutrition Support Team) (1,2) which is currently termed clinical nutrition team due to its multidisciplinary nature and hence a wider scope of practice. In its Standards, A.S.P.E.N. defines the NST as, “A multi-disciplinary group of health care professionals with expertise in nutrition who aid in the provision of nutrition support.” While all of the functions of a formal NST relative to patient care need to be performed, an NST is but one organizational approach to meet nutrition needs of patients. Dr. John Wesley has summarized the role and the perceived cost-effective benefits of nutrition teams (1).
While other models may meet the needs of particular environments, the Nutrition Team can be viewed as the de facto “gold” or reference standard for delivering nutrition care and management.
Jesus Fernando B. Inciong, MD
President
Marianna S. Sioson, MD
Vice President
Yasmin Laura Marie C. Zuniga, MD
Secretary
Reynaldo P. Sinamban, MD
Treasurer
Regina Bagsic, MD
Olive DG Quizon, MD
Divina Cristy Redondo-Samin, MD
Liza Mei Francisco, MD
Donnabelle Navarrete, MD
Rosalynn Pangan, MD
Mark Gil de la Rosa, MD