Get to Know Jane Balint
Jane Balint, MD, is Co-Director of Intestinal Support Service and Attending Physician in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University.
What is your current job title and work location?
I am the Co-director of the Intestinal Support Service (our inpatient and outpatient intestinal rehabilitation team) and an attending physician in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
What is your educational background?
I have a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the State University of New York at Albany and a master’s degree in nursing with a pediatric nurse practitioner certificate from the University of Virginia. After working as a nurse and nurse practitioner for 10 years, I went back to medical school at Albany Medical College in upstate New York. From there I went to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for my pediatric residency and on to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for a fellowship in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology, and nutrition.
How did you get involved in the field of clinical nutrition?
It started in the late 1970s when, as a nurse I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to care for children on parenteral nutrition, two of whom in particular stimulated my passion for this area and stole my heart. Dr Lyn Howard who was their physician was an inspiration. My involvement in this area was further solidified along the somewhat winding path of my career. As a nurse practitioner, I worked with Brad Rodgers a pediatric surgeon at the University of Virginia; the children who needed the most time and attention were those with what is now called intestinal failure. As a pediatric resident, my first rotation was on the GI service, again taking care of children with intestinal failure, learning all of the things that could go quickly wrong if we were not paying very close attention (I got to know the ICU attendings very well that month) but also recognizing and appreciating what nutrition support could do. The final step was during my fellowship. One of our clinic rotations was the Comprehensive Nutrition Clinic. My co-fellow and I were given the opportunity to follow a cohort of our own patients throughout our fellowship. This was an incredible learning opportunity and I was completely hooked. Jackie Wessel, Gerry Hennies, and Kim Klotz (the dietitian and nurses on the team) were incredibly generous with their time and, as I have said very often, taught me everything I know about nutrition support including the importance of the team. This is not to diminish what I learned from my attendings, Mike Farrell and Jim Heubi and the two surgeons, Drs Mory Ziegler and Brad Warner who patiently helped me understand critical medical and surgical aspects of care. The children and their parents were also amazing teachers. Who would not want to care for these children with the opportunities and rewards that come with it?
What specifically do you do in your current position?
We have a dedicated inpatient service for patients with intestinal failure that one of my partners and I are responsible for along with two nurse practitioners, so half of the year I am the inpatient attending for that service. We have several planned clinics each week for our short bowel/intestinal failure patients. In addition, because of the nature of their problems, we also have a fair number of unplanned visits. Our goal is to try to avoid the need for children to go to the Emergency Department. This can make for an unpredictable and sometimes chaotic day but we believe that this provides the best and most efficient care for those with complicated medical problems as we already know them well. We have fellows in our program, so an important aspect of my position is teaching the next generation of pediatric gastroenterologists about the care of those needing nutrition support and other aspects of nutrition care. An important part of what I do is collaborating with other members of both our core team (dietitian, motility physician, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacist, radiologist, surgeon) and others who are involved in the care of our patients both at our center and at other centers. I have an open door and try to help when anyone has a question about a patient or a problem or wants to just discuss an idea. Other aspects of my position include being a member of the Nutrition Support Team, serving as medical director of Clinical Nutrition, participating on several hospital committees, speaking, writing, and acting in a support role with several clinical research projects.
Why did you become involved in A.S.P.E.N. and what are the benefits of being involved?
A.S.P.E.N. is the organization that has a focus on nutrition support so is a great fit for me professionally. Working in a field where there is often not as much evidence as we would like on which to base practice, A.S.P.E.N. provides the opportunity to meet and talk with others and learn from them both in person at meetings and electronically through forums. Where there is evidence, A.S.P.E.N. has an impressive array of resources that can easily be accessed. It provides an array of opportunities for continuing education. A.S.P.E.N. is also an organization that is very open and so provides opportunities to be active even as a newcomer.
What recommendations would you give to someone just starting out in your field?
Be open to opportunities, when a door opens walk through it – on the surface, something may not be what you think you are interested in or want to do (or feel competent to do) but may introduce you to people who will help you in your career or to something that captures your passion. In a similar vein, volunteer for committees or projects; this is a great way to learn and to meet people and is always appreciated. Never be afraid to ask a question, no question is ever “dumb”. I have found that those who are leaders in the field are not unapproachable but rather are almost always incredibly gracious people who are more than willing to share what they know and help if they can.
