Nutrition is a vital part of health and well-being. Many medical conditions and diseases can be improved through a healthy diet. 

Registered  Dietitians Nutritionists (RDN) are the food and nutrition experts who guide people to improve their health through medical nutrition therapy (MNT).  During an MNT intervention, dietitians counsel clients on behavioral and lifestyle changes required to impact long-term eating habits and health.

GCH offers an experienced registered and licensed dietitian, Carol Laughery, RDN, LDN, RN, to provide medical nutrition therapy and other nutritional services on an inpatient and outpatient basis for a variety of diseases and conditions including:

  • Cardiovascular Diseases: heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, congestive heart failure
  • Diabetes
  • Prediabetes
  • Weight Management: overweight/obesity
  • Pulmonary Disease: COPD
  • Disease Prevention: general wellness
  • GI Disorders: celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, gluten sensitivity/intolerance
  • Immunocompromise: food allergies
  • Nutritional Support: oral, enteral, parenteral
  • Oncology
  • Renal Disease: insufficiency, chronic failure
  • Women’s Health: osteoporosis, anemia

Inpatient Services:

During an inpatient admission at GCH, the dietitian provides personalized nutritional care and education to patient and families admitted to GCH.   Each patient’s selective menu is based on their specific nutritional needs to help promote healing and recovery. The comprehensive approach is designed to involve the entire healthcare team to promote overall nutritional health.

GCH Services:

Guthrie County Hospital’s Dietitian offers excellent outpatient medical nutrition therapy for your nutritional health needs.  Our approach is based on the belief that good nutrition is for everyone, whether it is for disease prevention or treatment. Food is a great source of enjoyment and health, and learning what to include in your diet can be as important as knowing what to limit or avoid to manage a medical condition.  Our dietitian provides current medical and scientific nutrition information, as well as comprehensive and creative strategies to facilitate changes in eating habits.

Scheduling

  • To schedule an appointment call our Medical Nutrition Therapy Department at 641-332-3831
  • A Primary Care Physician’s referral with appropriate medical diagnosis is required.  Referrals should be mailed or faxed (641-332-2417).  If you have questions on the best approach to obtain a physician referral, you may contact us directly.

Preparing for your Appointment

  • Plan for you appointment to take between 30-90 minutes.
  • To find out if and how many appointments are covered by your insurance plan, call the Customer Service number on your insurance card.  Medicare only covers medical nutrition therapy for counseling for diabetes and non-dialysis renal disease for up to 3 hours.

Our office is located at Guthrie County Hospital. Please enter through the hospital entrance and check in at the admissions desk. Call the following number for assistance – 641-332-3831.


Carol Laughery, R.D.N., L.D.N., R.N., B.S.N

Carol earned her bachelor’s degree in Home Economics: Foods and Nutrition at Northwest Missouri State University and completed a Dietetic Internship program at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI.  She also received a bachelor’s degree in Nursing at Missouri Western State College. Carol has worked in several areas of Dietetics including clinical and outpatient dietetics, diabetes education, cardiac and pulmonary education, long term care and public health.  Her various experiences in nursing include critical and coronary care and cardiac rehabilitation and provide her with a knowledge base of the importance of nutrition is in the healing aspect of many diseases.  Her passion is helping people realize how much better they can feel by just changing the kind of food and the amount of food they eat!  Her philosophy is that with knowledge, support and encouragement anyone can make a change toward a healthy lifestyle!  She also believes in sharing her expertise any chance she gets with children, so they may decrease the risk of developing health-related complications caused by poor nutritional choices. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Midwest Nutrition Team and has completed the Adult Weight Management courses, certificate health coach.