Kelly Sinclair

Food Service and Nutrition team

Kelly Sinclair has worked at Children’s National for 5 ½ years as part of the Food Service and Nutrition team. She is a clinical dietitian specialist working primarily with the Division of Endocrinology in an outpatient capacity with a specialty in diabetes.

Kelly works with overweight children, and also works to teach children and adolescents the dietary management of their diabetes (type 1 or type 2). She teaches a weight loss class at the Shady Grove Regional Outpatient Center (ROC) and hopes to expand this to the Laurel Lakes clinic in the future.

“Children’s is unique in that it serves such a wide area,” said Kelly. “The diabetes program is the only one in the area for children and therefore families travel from far and wide to receive excellent care. I’m proud to be able to help these families and without Children’s, it would be difficult for these families to gain the access to resources that we can offer. They don’t have to do it alone.”

Kelly works with patients to take the “confusion” out of food, explaining that there are so many different messages about food and so many of them conflict with one another that people have become confused.

“I enjoy showing families that healthy eating doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive, and making a few simple changes to what they are already eating and buying can make a big difference for not only their child but their whole family”.

Among countless amazing experiences, Kelly describes how a family she worked closely with for many years knit her a baby blanket for her newborn son who is now three and then again for her second son who is nine months.

“I was taken aback that the grandmother was so grateful that she took the time to make something for my family. That “blankee” is my son’s most prized possession and he takes it everywhere with him. When I see him with it, it reminds me of the impact I am having on the families I work with and makes me want to do more.”

Kelly says it’s important to take the time to hear what her patients are saying, and help make plans for them. She believes that if she can help motivate someone to make a small change, that small change can lead to other changes and have a big impact on their overall health and quality of life.

“Its hard being a kid and it’s even harder when you have a disease like diabetes or obesity. I try to come up with goals that the parents want, but more importantly that the child wants too!”

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