February 2018 Newsletter

Academy Elections End TODAY – Your Voice Matters!

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics national elections are open through February 15, 2018. Don’t forget to vote – just click here: http://www.eatrightpro.org/resources/leadership/nominations-and-elections. By the close of business Tuesday, February 15, 2018 only 9% of Mississippi dietitians had voted.

Annual Conference Updates

Ladies and Gentlemen! May I have your Attention Please?

Registration is open for the MS-AND 2018 Annual Conference. There will be up to 13 continuing education credit hours over March 23-24 at the MSU Riley Center in Meridian, MS, for very affordable prices (early bird prices end March 11, 2018). In addition to the education sessions (both general sessions and breakout sessions), there are opportunities to visit exhibitors and vendors. In fact, MS-AND members who have a business or other project you’d like participants to know about can host a booth at a special rate of $100 (click here for the booth packet https://tinyurl.com/MSAND-member-booth). Also, consider submitting an abstract about your work for our professional poster session (see the additional article in this newsletter). We will also have networking and physical activity opportunities. See you in Meridian!

It’s Time to Celebrate!

Please make plans to join us for the MS-AND 2018 Awards ceremony the evening of Friday, March 23. It will be an amazing ceremony at the MSU Riley Center’s Grand Opera House. Your ticket for the awards ceremony is included with your MS-AND 2018 Conference registration. We will be entertained by Aa’Keela Hudnall, Meridian’s own singer/songwriter, whose style includes soul, rhythm and blues, gospel, rock, jazz, pop and funk.

At the ceremony, we will honor the recipients of the MS-AND Outstanding Dietitian of the Year Award, Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award, Emerging Dietetic Leader Award, Magnolia Award, as well as Outstanding Dietetics Educator of the Year Award and Outstanding Student of the Year Award. There will be hor d’oeuvres from a highly recommended Meridian caterer and a cash bar. We hope to see you there!

Tell us about your Work

Mississippi food, nutrition and dietetics professionals need to know about the projects you are working on. Use the 2018 Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to tell us about it at our Professional Poster Session. Abstracts are being accepted through February 28, 2018. The committee is accepting research abstracts and project or program report abstracts. Click here for the official Call for Abstracts and the submission form: https://tinyurl.com/MSAND-2018Poster. MS-AND 2018 annual conference registration is only $25 for accepted posters (that is less than registration for students!)

MS-AND Awards

MS-AND 2018 Outstanding Dietetics Student of the Year Award applications are being accepted now and must be submitted to Madison Davis ([email protected]) by February 23^rd.

Also, the Renal RD’s of Mississippi are hosting their Spring Meeting in Pearl, MS on 4/5/18 at the Clyde Muse Center of Hinds Community College. The meeting is open to dietitians across the state working in the renal field, or with renal interests, who are looking for CEU credits on various renal topics. More information can be obtained from the Secretary Rebecca Butz at [email protected].

CAPITOL DAY – MARCH 14, 2018

Registered Dietitian Nutritionists from throughout the state of Mississippi will be making their presence felt as they descend on the Capitol Wednesday, March 14, in honor of National RD Day.  The west hall of the rotunda at the Mississippi State Capitol has been reserved for the MS-AND from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM.  This will give us a chance to meet and greet the legislators from our individual districts as we introduce ourselves and share our vision for the future of nutrition and health in this state. 

We have requested that Governor Phil Bryant issue a proclamation proclaiming March 14 National RD Day in Mississippi.  At his convenience, we have requested a photo op with him signing the declaration.  We would like as many RDs as possible to be available for the photo with the governor. As soon as that time is made available, we will post it to the MS-AND web site.

In addition, we have requested that the dietitians from MS-AND be recognized on the floor of the legislative sessions of the Senate and Representatives.  Again, as soon as that time is made available, we will post it to the MS-AND web site.

Please make plans to attend this event if possible.  As registered dietitian nutritionists we are the “first line of defense” in regard to the nutritional health and wellness of the people of this great state.  Let’s make a concentrated effort to make our presence felt as we convey to our legislators the importance of our work in this field of nutrition.

Go Further with Food!

National Nutrition Month turns 45 this year – how many of them have you celebrated? This is the perfect time for Registered Dietitian/Nutritionists and Nutrition and Dietetic Technicians, Registered to let your co-workers, community and others know about all of your nutrition knowledge. 

If you are working with a limited budget, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has number of free, downloadable materials on their website, in the Handouts and Tipsheets section. You may print these and copy for free distribution at your events. Consider using the National Nutrition Month^® graphic to create flyers and newsletters. To request permission to use the National Nutrition Month graphics, please contact [email protected].

MS-AND members at the first Delta Breastfeeding Coalition in Indianola, MS

Left to right:Tifffani Grant (MS State Department is Health, Office of Preventive Health), Ensley Howell (Delta State University, Department of Family and Consumer Science) and Lydia West (MS Public Health Institute)