Renourish™

Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that can have a significant impact on a person’s physical and emotional well-being. For example, the three main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.

Anorexia nervosa is characterised by a persistent restriction of food intake, resulting in low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image. People with anorexia often engage in excessive exercise and other behaviours to control their weight, such as counting calories, weighing themselves frequently, and avoiding certain foods or social situations that involve food.

Bulimia nervosa involves episodes of binge eating followed by behaviours to compensate for the overeating, such as self-induced vomiting, laxative or diuretic use, or excessive exercise. People with bulimia may feel a lack of control over their eating and experience shame or guilt afterwards.

Binge-eating disorder involves eating large amounts of food in a short period and feeling a sense of loss of control over eating. Unlike bulimia, there are no compensatory behaviours, such as vomiting or excessive exercise, associated with binge-eating disorder.

Eating disorders can lead to a range of physical health problems, including malnutrition, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, digestive problems, and hormonal imbalances.

They can also have a significant impact on a person’s emotional well-being, leading to depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.

Effective treatment for eating disorders usually involves a combination of therapy, medication, and nutritional counselling. Therapy can help people develop healthier relationships with food and their bodies, while medication can help manage any associated mental health conditions. Nutritional counselling can help people learn how to make healthier food choices and develop a balanced diet.

QPC’s Renourish Program provides a private inpatient refeeding service for voluntary patients who have become medically unstable as a result of their eating disorder.

The aim is to medically stabilise patients so they may have the best chance to safely engage with their community team and to ensure that they have the best chance to move forward with both their physical and psychological recovery.

Admission criteria are in keeping with the Queensland Eating Disorder Service (QuEDS) Guidelines for admission and inpatient treatment.

The Renourish Program was developed and is led by our highly experienced team of doctors,
Dr Caroline Summers and Associate Professor Warren Ward.

Dr Caroline Summers is one of the four Directors of Queensland Physician care and is the pioneer of the highly successful Renourish Program. This program is the only protocol of its kind available to private patients nationally.

Dr Caroline Summers is a General Physician who has a special interest in the medical management of eating disorders. Her background includes being Chair of the Eating Disorder Working Unit Group (ED WUG) at the RBWH and she is the only General Physician representative on the Queensland Health Eating Disorder Advisory Group (EDAG). Dr Summers is also a member of the Australia & New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders.

Associate Professor Warren Ward is a Psychiatrist with many years of experience in the
management of eating disorders. He is the Director of the Queensland Eating Disorders Service and Chair of the Queensland Health Eating disorder Advisory group. He has published more than thirty articles and book chapters on eating disorders, and in 2017 he received the ANZAED Distinguished Achievement Award for his contributions to the field.

Dr Kylie Johnson is a highly experienced and well-respected General Physician who has an interest in treating eating disorders, complex clinical disabilities in adults and acute preoperative medicine.

Patients who are medically unstable secondary to their eating disorder are suitable for the Renourish Program. The program is voluntary and both patients and their families must be agreeable to complying with the program guidelines at all times during the hospital admission.

The Renourish Program guidelines closely adhere to those developed by the Queensland Eating Disorder Service (QuEDS) which can found on the QuEDS website via the following link – QuEDS Guide to Admission and Inpatient Treatment | Metro North Mental Health | Metro North HHS

Referrals to the program must be from a qualified medical practitioner. Generally, this will be from a General Practitioner or a psychiatrist (public or private).
Referrals:

• Public and Private Psychiatry Outpatients
• General Practitioners
• QuEDS

Referrals can be sent by;

Fax (07) 3905 1850 or
e-mail the QPC Renourish Team: reception@queenslandphysiciancare.com.au