American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Malnutrition Awareness Week 2024

ASPEN Malnutrition Awareness Week (MAW) 2024 was the annual flagship campaign held by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. The 2024 edition continued the powerful theme “Nutrition Care Is a Patient Right,” emphasizing that malnutrition is not just a side effect of disease but a treatable medical condition that requires specific intervention.
Held virtually in September 2024, the week mobilized clinicians, administrators, and legislators to address the “hidden epidemic” of malnutrition, particularly focusing on how Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and health inequities prevent patients from receiving adequate nutrition support.
+ What You Will Learn
The 2024 curriculum focused on practical barriers to care and quality measurement. Key learning outcomes included:

The GMCS in Action: A deep dive into the Global Malnutrition Composite Score (GMCS)—the first nutrition-focused quality measure for CMS—and how hospitals are successfully implementing it to improve health equity.

Trauma & Emergency Care: Recognizing malnutrition in the acute setting (trauma/ER), where it is often overlooked due to the urgency of injury, yet critically impacts wound healing and survival.

Diagnosing the “Invisible”: Overcoming barriers to diagnosing malnutrition in outpatient and home health settings, where patients often fall through the cracks after discharge.

Legislative Advocacy: Updates on House Resolution 1462 and Senate Resolution 826, which officially designated the week and called for increased federal attention to nutrition care.

+ Event Details

Event: ASPEN Malnutrition Awareness Week™ 2024

Dates: September 16–20, 2024

Location: Virtual (Webinars & Social Media Campaign)

+ Who Should Attend:

Dietitians (RD/RDNs): Who are leading the implementation of the GMCS in their hospitals.

Nurses: Often the first line of defense in screening for malnutrition risk upon admission.

Hospital Administrators: Who need to understand how malnutrition documentation affects hospital reimbursement and quality ratings.

Patients & Caregivers: Empowered to “Ask About Your Nutrition” through patient-facing resources.

+ Why It Matters:

Health Equity Focus: 2024 placed a spotlight on how food insecurity and poverty drive malnutrition readmissions, positioning nutrition support as a tool for social justice.

Interdisciplinary Reach: The event moved beyond the “nutrition silo” by partnering with nursing and medical societies, reinforcing that nutrition care is a shared responsibility.

+ Topics:
The 2024 schedule featured these high-yield sessions:

Improving Health Equity through Quality_ The Global Malnutrition Composite Score

Malnutrition in The Trauma and Emergency Surgery Settings_ An Under-Recognized Issue
Nutrition Support Access_ Breaking Down Barriers
Starvation, Acute and Chronic Malnutrition_ Adaptation or Resolution Across the Life Cycle
Under-recognized Malnutrition in the Post-Bariatric Surgery Population