One career medical professional honored in the New Year Honors said he was drawn to the complexity of kidney disease and the profound impact that nutrition has on every stage of the disease.

Somerville resident Lynne Lloyd has been made an officer of the Order of New Zealand Merit (ONZM) for her services to kidney nutrition.

“There is strong evidence that what people eat has a significant impact on kidney health,” she said. times.

“Nutrition therapy provided by dietitians plays an important role in slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and improving health status and quality of life, especially for people undergoing dialysis and those who have undergone a kidney transplant.

“People living with kidney disease have been some of my greatest teachers. Their resilience and lived experiences have shaped my approach to nutritional care.”

The award’s citation states that Mr Lloyd has been a pioneering leader in nephrology in New Zealand and Australia through clinical care, education, advocacy and policy development for more than 40 years.

“It was a big surprise,” she says of ONZM. “I felt very honored and very touched by the response from my colleagues, friends and so many others.

“This recognition reflects not only my work but the collective efforts of the nephrology interdisciplinary team who are committed to improving the lives of people with kidney disease.

“Having worked at Te Toka Tumai Auckland (Auckland City Hospital) for over 40 years, I have been incredibly lucky to work alongside inspiring, generous and highly skilled colleagues.

“I was encouraged to pursue opportunities that I was passionate about and supported by mentors, fellow dietitians, and colleagues within and outside of nephrology who believed in the value of nutrition.”

Lloyd says nutritional therapy is central to preventing kidney stone recurrence.

“Currently, there is little support in New Zealand to prevent kidney stone recurrence.

“My main goal is to improve nutritional care, improve outcomes, and help kidney patients at all stages of CKD live better lives.

“More recently, there has been an emphasis on the important role of nutrition in the prevention of kidney stones. This includes education, training, research, and advocacy efforts to ensure that renal dietitians are recognized as important members of the nephrology multidisciplinary team.”

Mr Lloyd, who recently retired from Te Toka Tumai Auckland Hospital, said: “I remain committed to kidney nutrition and dietetics through teaching, professional collaboration and research, and continue to advocate for the central role of nutrition and kidney health.”

“CKD affects around one in eight New Zealanders and is more common among Māori and Pacific Islanders, but it is often detected late.

“Nutrition plays an important role in prevention, early management, and slowing progression, but access to specialist nutritional therapy and education is limited.

“Many regions of the country have a shortage of nephrology nutritionists, and some regions have no shortage at all.

“Strengthening the nutrition workforce and recognizing its role should be a key focus for our health system.

“For people with recurrent kidney stones, access to nutritional therapy is extremely limited, despite strong evidence that nutritional therapy reduces recurrence, reduces health care costs, and significantly improves quality of life.”

“I am most satisfied with work that has led to lasting improvements in patient care,” Lloyd said.

“Te Toka Tumai in Auckland has established high standards in renal nutritional care and helped set national and international benchmarks.

“We have contributed to international and national guideline development, including providing lead dietitian input to the recent CARI (Care of Australians and New Zealanders with Kidney Impairment) kidney stone guidelines and contributing to the Australia-New Zealand Chronic Kidney Disease and Kidney Transplant Nutrition Guidelines.

“We promote nutritional management of kidney stones with a focus on preventing stone recurrence and reducing the long-term burden for kidney stone patients through evidence-based nutritional strategies,” she says.

“We support education and workforce development through mentorship and support the establishment and ongoing support of Renal Dietitian Councils within Australia and New Zealand, including through our participation in the Renal Nutrition Program for New Zealand and Australian Dietitians, through the Australian New Zealand Nephrology Society (ANZSN), and most recently as a member of the Te Watu Ora National Renal Network Strategy Group.

“We are working collaboratively to support the development and use of safe and appropriate micronutrient supplementation for patients with advanced kidney disease.

“We will contribute to student education in renal nutrition and nutritional counseling, support the development of future dietitians, and value the mutual learning that comes from collaboration with students.”

Lloyd believes she has been lucky to have worked with “great people throughout her career.”

“Members of the nephrology multidisciplinary team, including dieticians, nephrologists, nurses and pharmacists, as well as researchers, educators and policy makers from across New Zealand and Australia,” she says.

“The support of the Dietitians Association of New Zealand has been important and has provided us with connections, collaboration and encouragement over many years, particularly through the Renal Dietitian Special Interest Group.

“Nephrology dietitians themselves are a constant source of inspiration. They bring a unique skill set that combines in-depth clinical knowledge, interpretation of complex biochemistry, practical problem solving, behavioral change support, and genuine compassion for patients managing chronic diseases.

“ANZSN renal dietitians are particularly influential, along with an international group of nutritionists involved in guideline development and research.”

Ms Lloyd said although she has retired from hospital work, she continues to contribute internationally as a NZ member of the International Nutrition Care Process Terminology Committee and the SNOMED CT Nutrition and Dietetics Group, with a focus on advancing nutrition terminology within health systems to improve health outcomes.

“I am also part of the National Malnutrition Action Group, which was started by dietitians and brings together multidisciplinary teams to develop an evidence-based framework for malnutrition care across hospitals, primary and aged care facilities in Aotearoa.”

“The focus is on best practices, national consistency, improved access to patient-centered nutritional care, and more equitable outcomes.

“New Zealand still has a long way to go in this area, but we are a group of passionate clinicians working together to drive meaningful and sustainable change.

“I also run a small private practice providing renal nutritional care to patients across New Zealand (www.kidneydietitian.nz).

“I cherish the opportunity to continue supporting people living with kidney disease, while also looking back on a career that has been both challenging and extremely rewarding,” says Lloyd.

“I am very happy to be contributing to a field that is making a real difference to people’s lives.”