Please join Harney District Hospital (HDH) and NewSun Energy & HDH Specialty Care Clinic in welcoming Registered Dietitian (RD) Tori Garner.

Garner joined the team on April 10. She will serve as the dedicated dietitian for Harney County Health District, overseeing inpatient nutrition at the hospital and consulting with outpatients in the clinic. She is also looking forward to being a resource in the community. Her goal is to provide accessible nutrition education in a fun and engaging way to anyone and everyone!

Garner is originally from Portland, but her husband, Logan, hails from Harney County.

She attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., obtaining her bachelor’s degree in community nutrition, with a specialization in geriatric care. She then completed the more than 1,500 hours of required training as well as the certification exam to become an RD while at Oregon State University.

Following her education, Garner worked in Medford, in long-term care and skilled nursing. From there, she moved to Portland and worked with a low-income, geriatric population, helping patients to secure adequate and nutritious food.

Garner said her approach to working with patients is holistic and focused on “meeting them where they are.” She believes small changes can lead to big results, and food should be an enjoyable experience.
“Food is so much — it’s emotional, cultural, and social. I learned a lot from that and want to bring that here,” Garner explained. “I’m not the food police. There’s room for enjoyment of food, while still taking care of your health.”

Outside of work, Garner enjoys a variety of hobbies — one of which (unsurprisingly) is cooking. Additionally, she and her husband like hiking, fishing, and spending a lot of time with their silver lab, Cooper.

Talk to your primary care provider to learn more about whether nutrition consultation might be right for you. You can also call the Specialty Care Clinic at 541-573-4099 to learn more about Garner and the services that she provides.