EPHC welcomes new dietitian
Jennifer Vimbor and her daughter Jordan strike a pose leading up to Jennifer’s new adventure serving at Eastern Plumas Health Care as a registered dietitian-nutritionist. Photo submittedEastern Plumas Health Care has welcomed a new member to its team — Jennifer Vimbor, registered dietitian-nutritionist. Vimbor brings a love of well-being and many years of experience to the community and took a moment to share.
“I began work at EPHC at the beginning of March,” Vimbor smiled. “I moved here in April.” After EPHC had initially reached out to Vimbor about the position, she was intrigued enough to travel from Chicago and jump into the community. “I was here living out of a hotel and working for about three weeks before I officially moved here.”
Raised in Manhattan and residing in Chicago, Vimbor was thrilled at the chance to live on the West Coast, saying, “In New York, our mountains are skyscrapers.”
Vimbor began her educational career in the fashion industry and was in the process of achieving her Bachelor of Arts in fashion studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. “I ultimately discovered that I was not happy in that industry, and I chose to change career paths,” Vimbor explained.
She went on to begin pre-med classes, and after taking a nutrition class, Vimbor knew she had found her career path. “One nutrition class, and that was it!” she said.
Vimbor received her master’s degree in nutrition education from Columbia University in New York and began putting her knowledge to work at a hospital in downtown NYC.
In the time Vimbor spent in the medical field, she began to network with physicians requesting her expertise, and it led to the creation of a successful private practice.
That practice traveled with her when she moved to Chicago, and Vimbor began to work part-time at an area hospital in addition to running her practice.
During this time, the Biggest Loser reached out to Vimbor, and she became the lead dietitian at the Biggest Loser Resort in Chicago. “It was amazing,” she said. “Our team at BLR really helped people to sustainably change their lives. I formed strong relationships with so many clients, because food is an intimate thing, and it’s an intimate journey that the client and I walk together as a team.”
Ultimately, Vimbor spent 10 years in Chicago before she and her daughter Jordan made the big move to Gold Mountain here in Plumas County, and she feels that it will be her last move. “I love it here,” Vimbor said. “I still can’t believe I live and work here. I feel like I found peace.”
“EPHC welcomed me with open arms,” Vimbor continued. “I truly mean it when I say that it feels like I’ve been here for years, a part of the EPHC team — the community as a whole has made me feel so welcomed.”
Now that Vimbor is established, her focus is on the community, which includes her fellow coworkers at EPHC. “I provide nutrition therapy,” Vimbor said of her role in assisting people with their dietary decisions. “Nutrition involves so much — our sleep, our diet, and creation of lifestyle change in a sustainable, realistic way.”
Vimbor started out with a focus on the acute care and skilled nursing facility patients at EPHC, but outpatient appointments at clinics are in the works.
“I look forward to talking with patients about what their current situation is, and what their goals are, so we can create a realistic plan together, one step at a time,” Vimbor said with a smile. “There is a ton of misinformation out there on the topic of nutrition, and I’m here to help clarify that. I also want to stress that this isn’t about instant gratification — it’s all about behavioral change.”
Moving forward, Vimbor hopes to spend as much time as possible exploring the area with her daughter, biking, swimming and marathon running when she isn’t at EPHC, saying, “I see a peaceful life in a great community here. It is exciting to be a part of forming stronger relationships with the community with the EPHC team.”
