鈥淲hat am I going to feed my child?鈥濃��&苍产蝉辫;
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That鈥檚 often the first question parents ask Nicole Misner, a pediatric dietician who
works with young patients diagnosed with complex gastrointestinal conditions.鈥��&苍产蝉辫;
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The ability to answer that question and help families navigate difficult illnesses
is a privilege that Misner doesn鈥檛 take for granted. It鈥檚 been the motivating force
behind her transformative work at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Division
of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition 鈥� whether developing community
and educational partnerships or pioneering new research and clinical programs.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
In recognition of her exemplary service to patients and contributions to USF Health鈥檚
core missions, Misner was recently awarded a Culture Coin by Charles J. Lockwood,
MD, MHCM, dean of the Morsani College of Medicine and executive vice president of
USF Health. 鈥�
鈥淣icole Misner exemplifies the values we strive for at USF Health,鈥� Dr. Lockwood said.
鈥淪he leads with compassionate care, innovative thinking and a commitment to improving
the lives of patients and families.鈥濃���&苍产蝉辫;
Nicole Misner receiving culture coin from Dr. Lockwood.
While Misner was always interested in pediatric nutrition, it was during a formative
traineeship at the University of Florida Pediatric Pulmonary Center that Misner witnessed
firsthand how the right nutritional support could dramatically improve a child鈥檚 health.
That experience led her to the field of pediatric gastroenterology, where she found
an interdisciplinary environment that allowed her to make a meaningful impact.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
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She joined USF Health in 2021 and has since played a key role in building its growing
pediatric GI nutrition program, inspired by the collaborative spirit of her team and
the leadership of Racha Khalaf, MD, division chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology,
Hepatology and Nutrition with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
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鈥淏eing involved in the growth of the program and seeing its positive impact on the
Tampa community has really reinforced my passion for this work,鈥� Misner said.鈥��淗er
guidance has been instrumental in turning ideas into action, helping us translate
our goals into meaningful outcomes for patients and families.鈥�
鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
One of Misner鈥檚 signature achievements is advancing community health through a unique
partnership between USF Health, the City of Tampa and the Gasparilla Distance Classic
Association. Thanks to a prestigious grant awarded by the White House Challenge to
End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities, Misner expanded the Pepperjack Kids Running
Program 鈥� an 8-week collaboration where students exercise while learning valuable
life skills 鈥� by integrating nutrition lessons into the program鈥檚 weekly physical
activity sessions. This year, more than 290 children across Tampa Bay participated,
learning how to nourish both body and mind.鈥��&苍产蝉辫;
Misner鈥檚 impact extends into USF Health鈥檚 education and clinical missions. As part
of a quality improvement project supported by the North American Society for Pediatric
Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. She implemented a universal food insecurity
screening initiatives in USF鈥檚 GI Clinics, achieving a screening rate above 90 percent.
That initiative sparked a new partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay and launched the
region鈥檚 first pediatric food prescription program, which allows doctors to refer
families for healthy food support.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
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She also led an effort to integrate over 400 custom formula recipes into Epic, ensuring
the clinicians across USF Health and Tampa General Hospital can easily access accurate,
up-to-date recipes along with safe preparation guidelines, including translation in
Spanish and Creole. These changes have improved safety consistency and outcomes for
patients who require complex nutritional support.鈥��&苍产蝉辫;
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鈥淪ometimes infants require specialized formulas with higher calories if they aren鈥檛
growing well, integrating these recipes into Epic, provides an essential and accessible
resource for clinicians,鈥� Misner said.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
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Misner鈥檚 commitment to clinical excellence recently earned her a spot in Cedar-Sinai鈥檚
highly competitive Advanced Dietary Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Education and
Training program, and she is already applying her training to strengthen multidisciplinary
care for patients at USF Health with IBD. Her efforts include tailoring nutrition
strategies, enhancing patient education, supporting collaborative treatment plans
and partnering with the Crohn鈥檚 and Colitis Foundation to bring cutting-edge research
directly to patients.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
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In a surprise ceremony with her colleagues, Dr. Lockwood and Dr. Khalaf presented
Misner with the USF Health Culture Coin, praising her as a reflection of excellence
and interprofessionalism. 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
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鈥淪he is without a doubt one of the most compassionate and driven dietitians and staff
at USF Health,鈥� Dr. Khalaf said.鈥�淗er incredible enthusiasm and drive positively affect
the lives of our patients, and her clinical and academic contributions to our field
will have long-lasting and positive effects.鈥濃��&苍产蝉辫;
鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
For Misner, the recognition is deeply meaningful.鈥���&苍产蝉辫;
鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
鈥淚鈥檝e always read the Culture Coin stories and been touched by the amazing work being
done by others at USF,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o now be included among them is a humbling honor.鈥濃��&苍产蝉辫;
(From left): Dr. Patricia Emmanuel, Chair of Pediatrics; Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, Executive Vice President of USF Health; Nicole Misner, Pediatric Dietitian and Culture Coin recipient; and Dr. Racha Khalaf, Division Chief, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.