'Nutritionist' vs. 'Dietitian'
The terms "nutritionist" and "dietitian" are often used interchangeably. All dietitians can also refer to themselves as nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians. At Moffitt Cancer Center, all of our nutrition professionals are nationally credentialed as Registered Dietitians (RD) and also licensed through the state of Florida (LD/N). The RD credential signifies that the clinician has completed academic and accredited internship experience, successfully passed the national credentialing exam and maintains ongoing continuing education/professional development in accordance with the national Commission on Dietetic Registration.
Kathryn A. Allen, MA, RD, LD/N, CSO
Kathy is currently the Director of the Department of Nutrition and has been a registered dietitian at Moffitt Cancer Center since 1992. She has been the project manager and Co-Investigator for several NCI-funded research studies and was instrumental in the development and implementation of Moffitt's recently initiated R.E.N.E.W. program for cancer survivors. Kathy is also the recipient of a Lance Armstrong Foundation Community Grant awarded to support the R.E.N.E.W. program. She has practiced in the field of dietetics for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in the nutrition care of cancer patients, cancer prevention, wellness and health maintenance. She has had several publications on body weight, chemoprevention, and cancer risk reduction. Kathy is state licensed; an active member of the American Dietetic Association and Oncology Dietitians Practice Group; holds a bachelor of science degree in Dietetics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania; completed a post-graduate internship at the University of Minnesota Hospitals; and holds a master's degree in Adult Education from the University of South Florida. Kathy is also board-certified as a Specialist in Oncology.
Heather Bell-Temin, MS, RD, LD/N, CSO
Heather has been practicing as a Registered Dietitian at Moffitt Cancer Center since 2003. She currently specializes in the care of Gastrointestinal and Senior Adult Oncology patients. She has been an invited speaker for the pancreatic cancer organization PANCAN, and has been involved in many other outreach programs provided by the department. She received her master of science degree in Human Nutrition from Louisiana State University. She is a state-licensed member of the American Dietetic Association, member of the Oncology Nutrition Practice Group, and is board-certified as a Specialist in Oncology Nutrition.
Nicole Carswell MS, RD, LD/N
Nicole is a registered dietitian and a Florida licensed dietitian. She holds a master's degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University and is also certified in Adult Weight Management. Her undergraduate degree is in Media, Communication and Technology and Psychology. Prior to her dietetics career, she was a graphic designer in New York City. Her passion for nutrition started in college when she realized what an important role nutrition played in all aspects of her life. She has counseled individuals and families from pre-school age to senior adults. She has enjoyed being an adjunct teacher and fitness instructor for school-age children while creating nutrition education curriculums for after-school programs. She has given numerous lectures and has appeared on local television programs. Here at Moffitt, Nicole has offered her nutrition expertise for the areas of radiation, chemotherapy, breast cancer, bone marrow transplant and integrative medicine for both the inpatients and outpatients since 2008.
Maureen Gardner, MA, RD, LD/N, CSO
Maureen has been a clinical dietitian at Moffitt since 2001. She has worked in Boston, Clearwater and Tampa and has extensive experience in the nutritional care of cancer patients, wellness and weight management. Maureen completed her master's degree in Gerontology in 2000 at the University of South Florida. In 2006, she earned a certificate of training from the American Dietetic Association in Adult Weight Management. Most recently, Maureen achieved board certification as a Specialist in Oncology Nutrition.She is a state-licensed dietitian and a member of the American Dietetic Association. Maureen has held several local and state offices and received several awards from the Tampa and Florida State Dietetic Associations.
Jeanne Hudson, R.D., LD/N, CSO
Jeanne has been at Moffitt since 1992. She currently works in the outpatient Blood and Marrow program and the outpatient Infusion Center. Jeanne has 20 years of clinical experience in the nutritional care of the oncology population. She has co-authored the chapter “Nutrition for the Cancer Patient” in the Florida Medical Nutrition Therapy Manual. She is a registered dietitian, a state-licensed dietitian and a board-certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association, Florida Dietetic Association and the Tampa Dietetic Association.
Melissa Kingery, MS, RD, LD/N, CSO
Melissa has been a clinical dietitian at Moffitt Cancer Center since 1992. She received both her bachelor's and master’s degrees at the University of Florida. Her clinical areas at Moffitt include the Head and Neck, Neuro-Oncology and Cutaneous programs.
Kristen Lange, MS, RD, LD/N, CSO
Kristen has been practicing as a registered dietitian at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa since 2006. She holds a master of science degree in Clinical Nutrition from the University of North Florida and is also a board-certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition. Her undergraduate degree is in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Florida. She has practiced in the field of dietetics since 2000 and has experience in wellness, health maintenance and nutritional care of cancer patients. She is an active member of the American Dietetic Association and its Dietitians in Nutrition Support Practice Group.
Amanda C. Maucere, MS, RD, LD/N
Amanda is a registered dietitian at Moffitt Cancer Center since 2008. Amanda was raised in a military family and received her bachelor of science degree in Biology from the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. After working as a project biologist for an environmental engineering firm in Orlando, Fla., Amanda served for three years as an officer in the Coast Guard working on a high endurance cutter out of Seattle, Wash., and in the 9th District Coast Guard Command Center in Cleveland, Ohio. While in Seattle, Amanda discovered her passion for nutrition and returned to school earning a master of science degree in Health Sciences with a Nutrition emphasis from Georgia State University in Atlanta. Amanda’s practice experience includes acute and outpatient care, diabetes education, renal nutrition, sports nutrition, alternative medicine and food service.
Myla Rinehart, RD, LD/N
Myla obtained a bachelor of science degree in Human Ecology with a major in Dietetics from Mercyhurst College in Erie, Penn. She has been actively practicing in dietetics since 2001 in various settings, including Millcreek Community Hospital in Erie, Penn., Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, Utah, and at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Va., caring for patients in acute and critical care. Myla later specialized in counseling individuals for weight management as an outpatient dietitian and earned her certificate of training in Adult Weight Management in 2008 from the American Dietetic Association’s Commission on Dietetic Registration.
Myla has been practicing as a registered dietitian at Moffitt Cancer Center since April 2010. Here at Moffitt, Myla offers nutritional expertise to the patients in the inpatient Bone Marrow Transplant program. She also teaches orientation classes to outpatients before they receive treatment. Myla is state licensed and a member of the American Dietetic Association.
Ann M. Spicocchi, RD, LD/N
Ann has been practicing as a registered dietitian at Moffitt Cancer Center since 2007. Ann hails from Ohio, where she received her bachelor of science degree in Nutritional Sciences. She completed her Dietetic Internship at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa. Since graduating, her focus has been on nutrition for patients with cancer. Now, at Moffitt, she has further focused her work to patients undergoing radiation therapy. She is state licensed and a member of the American Dietetic Association.