Cebu Doctors Newest Hub: The Center for Advanced Nutrition

Cebu Doctors Group opened their new Center for Advanced Nutrition (CAN) on March 14, 2023, the first multidisciplinary nutrition intervention launched in the region.

CebuDoc Group President and Chairman of the Board Dr. Potenciano S.D Larrazabal III said CAN aims to be a model to other sister hospitals in promoting nutritious eating habits.

CAN chairman Dr. Mary Karen Woolbright said nutrition is a very complicated science because it is linked to every body function, and it is a multi-specialty center that includes dieticians, nurses, pharmacists, and all other subspecialties of physicians.

She further added that CAN will put more importance on continuing education, patient care, and overall excellence, which distinguishes it from other nutrition units. It ensures that the nutrition is up to date and based on evidencebased research.

CAN is equipped with two brand-new and innovative machines that analyze body water and metabolic needs of patients. The Body Water Analyzer 2.O (BWA 2.O), the first in the Philippines, is a professional body water analyzer that can help address the precise need measurement in monitoring body composition and change for nutritional evaluation. This test allows patients to be tested in any position in the most desired and comfortable manner, making it the best of all brands.

Meanwhile, the Indirect Calorimetry (IC) machine, the first in Visayas and Mindanao, measures oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production. According to CAN Vice Chair Dr. Maricel Malazarte, IC is a noninvasive, reliable, and valuable method to evaluate energy expenditure and fuel utilization by the body.

Dr. Malazarte said that indirect calorimetry can be used to optimize nutritional support in metabolic disorders and to quantify patients’ energy requirements.

The center has been emphasized that it is not only for weight loss but also for those who have an underlying conditions such as heart problems, renal problems, diabetes, and both IC and BWA 2.O elevates the field of nutrition management.

The center strives to be the cornerstone of nutrition in the Philippines, and it places a premium on post-admission follow-ups because its multidisciplinary team not only provides nutrition support but also provides direction in emphasizing the importance of nutrition.

“It is very vital for Nutrition Support to continue after patients’ admission in the hospital and this is what the Center for Advanced Nutrition can offer to our patients, post-discharge,” Doctor Malazarte said.

“We will start here at CebuDoc Group among our employees and staff, to set an example for our patients with timely nutrition intervention, yes you can,” said Doctor Woolbright.

Chairman Larrazabal also added, “Here at CAN, we don’t want our patients to be admitted again. CAN is here, taking the lead to be their partner while they are continuously recovering at home. With CAN, we will address nutritional problems that can help determine the needs of Filipino. Here at CAN, we will help you attain the better curative and wellness nutrition care.”

CAN offers seven major services which are: Weight Management, Kidney Care Nutrition, Diabetes Nutrition Therapy, Cancer Nutrition, Meal Planning, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, and Indirect Calorimetry that serves both inpatient and outpatient.

The Center for Advanced Nutrition is located on the fifth floor of Cebu Doctors University Hospital Medical Arts Building 2.

For more information, contact CebuDoc CAN at 253-7511 local 703.