March is National Nutrition Month. In honor of this month I want to share a little bit about the dieticians that work for OneWorld in our WIC office. The article below was sent to me by Dawn Ballosingh, OneWorld WIC Manager. We appreciate all the work that Dawn and her team of dieticians do for our community. There will be a test later so read carefully.
For National Nutrition Month get to know your Registered Dietitians (RD)
Registered dietitians (RDs) are food and nutrition experts who have met the following criteria to earn the RD credential:
o Completed a minimum of a bachelor's degree at a U.S. regionally accredited university or college and course work approved by the
Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA).
o Completed a CADE-accredited supervised practice program at a healthcare facility, community agency, or a foodservice corporation, or combined with undergraduate or graduate studies.
o Passed a national examination administered by the
Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).
o Completes continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration.
Some RDs hold additional certifications in specialized areas of practice, such as pediatric or renal nutrition, nutrition support, and diabetes education. These certifications are awarded through CDR, the credentialing agency for ADA, and/or other medical and nutrition organizations and are recognized within the profession, but are not required. For Example:
Lisa Steinbach has a masters Degree in Food & Nutrition Science
Grace Sourile is certified in Pediatric and Adolescent Obesity Weight Management
Stephanie Thorson has her master’s degree in Human Resources & Family Sciences
Dawn Ballosingh has a master’s degree in Public Health Administration.
In addition to RD credentialing, many states have regulatory laws for dietitians and nutrition practitioners. Frequently these state requirements are met through the same education and training required to become an RD. In Nebraska the RD is a “Licensed Medical Nutrition Therapist” or LMNT. OWCHC boasts 3 LMNT’s on staff.
Dietitians’ college course work consists of a variety of subjects, ranging from food and nutrition sciences, foodservice systems management, business, economics, computer science, culinary arts, sociology, and communication to science courses such as biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, anatomy, and chemistry.
Registered dietitians work in a wide variety of employment settings, including health care, business and industry, public health, education, research, and private practice.
OneWorld currently has on staff 5 RD’s and 1 Nutritionist. In addition to their professional educational and counseling services through the WIC program, over the last year, OWCHC RD’s have been instrumental in working with clinic staff for teaching Cholesterol classes, helping to plan the wellness program, community outreach and health promotions through the Radio Lobo’s “Femenina Energia” weight loss challenge and the Channel 22 La Voz health series discussion and call-in show on Tuesday nights at 7:00 and health fairs. THE OWCHC RD’s continues to add value to the quality of care and services that OneWorld provides.
So get to know your dietitians and thank them for their contributions.
Adapted from the American Dietetic Aassociation RD fact sheet & D. Ballosingh, MPA, RD, LMNT
