Maria Licher, RD
Joined Fenway in December, 2016
Education: Bachelor’s in Human Nutrition, Food and Exercise; Dietetics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute; Registered Dietician.
What brought you to Fenway Health?
I had been wanting to move into outpatient for quite some time and a colleague told me about the position. After learning about the mission of Fenway Health I became really excited about what we do here and our support of the LGBTQ community and those affected by HIV/AIDS. Once I interviewed and realized how much everyone here cares about the patients and each other it became clear that this was a place that I really wanted to be a part of.
What do you like most about being a Dietitian?
Getting to help people improve their health and finding ways to make healthy eating easier than people realize.
When you have time off, what do you get up to?
I like to spend time with friends and family and I like to spend time outdoors taking walks, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and camping. I also do a little bit of knitting and someday I hope to try out parkour.
What is the most challenging part of your job?
Debunking diet myths and fad diets! There is so much misinformation out there and it can take a lot to remind people that the basics are still the same. While this may seem boring, the advice “eat more vegetables” will probably never change and will have more of an impact on your long-term health than the latest fad diet.
How do you see the field changing or growing in the future?
I see telemedicine continuing to grow and the use of health apps expanding. Additionally, I believe we will see more and more genetic information being used to provide individualized recommendations for health and diet.