<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

I am glad to know there is a plan to educate dieticians and doctors. As with
everybody we had a bad problem with food while my husband was in the hospital
(many, many, times). The dietician understood a lot about the gluten free
diet. The trouble is that the dietician is not the one who puts the food on
the plates. I was a restaurant manager and have worked in institutional
foods. Lots of people working these jobs wouldn't understand the diet if you
explained it to them. What I have intended to do is make a poster (in the
hustle and bustle of getting meals out they wouldn't read a manual if it were
there). Pictures of bread, spaghetti, etc with lines through them. Something
would be on the poster explaining the seriousness of the situation. I think
most people would assume that, if a patient ate things he was "allergic" to
it would make him break out, or something as innocent. Gluten free rolls were
kept at the VA Hospital (for my husband alone) and frozen. When I got in
touch with the dietician and she got in touch with the kitchen (not all
admissions are during Mon-Fri daytime hours) things got better. But we have
had situations where the plate looked like they piled as much gluten as they
could on one plate. When we sent it back with explanation it was replaced
with different but
still gluten containing foods. I could make a sample poster of the type I'm
talking about if you are interested. I intended to also put the right things
on there. I often made charts and posters to get points accross to employees
and had much success with it. If this worked it could also help in
restaurants and airline preparation areas. Brenda Laney