Allisha Aguayo, RD, LD, MS – Dietitian
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Allisha Aguayo, a registered and licensed dietitian in the Nutrition and Metabolic Support Department at CTCA at Southwestern Regional Medical Center, is committed to keeping patients nutritionally fortified throughout their cancer treatment.
Aguayo earned a Master of Science degree in nutrition from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Oklahoma and a Bachelor of Science degree in family and consumer sciences (with a dietetic emphasis) from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Prior to joining CTCA in April 2008, Aguayo spent three years as a clinical dietitian in the oncology, metabolic surgery and intensive care units at Norman Regional Hospital in Norman, Oklahoma. Before that, she served as a dietitian for Sodexho Campus Services. There, she provided individualized nutrition counseling for students and faculty at 14 college campuses, including Oral Roberts University, the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma Christian University, Southern Nazarene University, and Oklahoma City University. Aguayo also served as a clinical dietitian at Muskogee Regional Medical Center in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
Aguayo believes the Nutrition Program at CTCA is unique because of its proactive, individualized approach to nutrition therapy for cancer patients. “We see every patient who comes here and we follow them throughout their treatment,” she says.
According to Aguayo, individuals who receive adequate nutrition during cancer treatment tend to have stronger immune systems, more energy, and feel better overall. “Nutrition therapy can help prevent weight loss and malnutrition that is so frequently seen in people with cancer. It can also help control side effects of cancer treatment,” she says.
In addition, while undergoing cancer treatment, some individuals are simply not able to eat. Aguayo says the nutrition team at CTCA can determine how to best meet a patient’s nutrition needs if nutritional support is necessary.
Aguayo says she strives to educate patients on the importance of good nutrition so they can maintain a healthy diet after treatment is complete. “Our overall goal for patients is not only to help them maintain nutrition while going through treatment, but also to educate them on a proper diet to help prevent the cancer from coming back,” she says.
Aguayo is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Dietetic Association, Oklahoma Dietetic Association, and Dietitians in Nutrition Support Practice Group.