President’s Message
Hi everyone!
We made it to spring! And what a busy spring MS-AND is having.
Our 2023 annual conference was a great success. It took place at The Inn at Ole Miss in Oxford, MS March 27-28, with the awards ceremony at The Institute of Child Nutrition on The University of Mississippi’s campus. Please see pictures of the events in the article below. Congratulations to Ellen Ossorio, our President-elect – all of your hard work and coordination really paid off. We are already looking forward to the 2024 annual conference in Hattiesburg, MS.
We had a great professional and poster presentation during the 2023 conference. I would like to thank Laurel Lambert and Rebecca Butz for your work on this event. It was great to hear about all of the amazing work and research happening in Mississippi.
I was honored to be awarded the 2023 MS-AND Outstanding Dietitian of the Year. Thank you to Doris Schneider, Langston Moore, and Scott Clements for your nominations. I would like to congratulate all of the other 2023 award winners:
- MS-AND Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award: Turner Sanderson, MS, RD, LD, CNSC, SNS
- MS-AND Emerging Dietetic Leader Award: Whitney Sheffield, MS, RD, LD
- MS-AND Outstanding Dietetics Student Award- Didactic Program in Dietetics: Kaija Hayne
- MS- AND Outstanding Dietetics Student Award- Dietetic Internship: Jessica Gamble
- Magnolia Award: Aleshia Hall-Campbell, PhD, MPH
We had many great candidates nominated for these awards. Thank you all for all the great work you are doing in Mississippi!
This Spring, MS-AND also:
- Celebrated National Nutrition Month through local events and social media promotion
- Coordinated with the MS Center for Health Policy and the MS Public Health Association to host an inaugural public health policy day on March 1st. The first part of this event was virtual, then a group of us met at the MS State Capitol, where we were able to meet with some MS Representatives and celebrate Rep. Alyce Clark’s, a nutritionist, decades of working to make Mississippi better during her tenure with the House of Representatives.
- Met with Gov. Tate Reeves on March 6th as he signed a declaration to pronounce March as National Nutrition Month in Mississippi and March 8th as Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Nutrition and Dietetic Technician, Registered Day in Mississippi.
- Attended the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Nutrition and Dietetics Advocacy Summit (virtual) on March 28-30.
- Supported the MS Public Health Association’s National Public Health Week by hosting at booth at the 2023 F. E. Thompson Jr, MD, MPH Memorial Public Health Walk on April 7.
- April 15th the Northeast Region of MS-AND hosted a Picnic in the Park at Ballard Park in Tupelo.
Sincerely,
Lydia West, MPH, RDN, LD, SNS, President
Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Click through the pictures below to see some of the highlights from MS-AND’s March activities.
Licensure Update Presentation
Did you miss the Licensure Update that was presented at the Annual Conference? Not to worry! MS-AND is hosting a a live webinar presentation of the Licensure Update on April 28th at 12:00pm (CST).
The update will be given by MS-AND Consumer Protection Coordinator Roxanne Kingston, MS, RDN, LD, MS-AND Past President Lindsay Mixon, RDN, LD, and MS-AND President Lydia West, MPH, RD, LD, SNS.
This event is open to MS-AND members only and requires pre-registration. Click the button below to register! Registration closes on 4/27.
Follow MS-AND on Social Media
Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter using the handle @eatrightMS and on LinkedIn by searching for “Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics”. Follow us and tag us in your posts!
Happy National Preceptor Month!
April is National Preceptor Month! Thank you to all of you who serve as dietetic internship preceptors.
The best way to celebrate the preceptor program is to become one or encourage colleagues to do so! After signing up, you’ll be added to an online database for students and program directors to search by specialty or geographical area.
In addition to helping train the next generation of RDs, preceptors may record a total of 15 CPEUs per five-year cycle for precepting on your activity log.
Preceptors are vital to the next generation of nutrition and dietetics professionals. Celebrate them and learn more about becoming a preceptor:
sm.eatright.org/ndepreceptors
You can also recognize the exceptional mentorship and leadership of your own preceptors. To learn more about the Outstanding Preceptor Award, visit
sm.eatright.org/preceptorawards
For National Preceptor Month: Earn Free CPEU
The Dietetics Preceptor Training Program helps preceptors of dietetics students prepare for and excel in their important role as teachers, coaches and mentors. This free training was formally provided on the Commission on Dietetic Registration website. The training materials have not been modified; they have only been moved to a new learning management platform. The complimentary training awards participants with 8.0 CPEUs.
Career Starter Dues Program
New practitioners and dietetic interns, did you know that the Academy offers a Career Starter Dues Program for the first five years of your career? Click here to learn more: https://www.eatrightpro.org/member-types-and-benefits
Take Action: Support Senior Hunger Prevention
An estimated 5.2 million older Americans – and 28% of households with an adult who is out of the workforce due to a disability – struggle to put food on the table. Federal programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program help support households facing food insecurity by providing access to healthful, nutritious food. Please encourage your U.S. senators to support the Senior Hunger Prevention Act (S. 1036). The bill would ensure older adults, grandparents, kinship caregivers and adults with disabilities are able to access the food they need. Click to Learn More
Social Media Toolkit
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers a social media toolkit for members. Click here to find the 2nd Quarter social media toolkit: https://www.eatrightpro.org/about-us/for-media/social-media-toolkits
Considerations for Retired Credentialed Practitioners
Whether you have recently retired from nutrition and dietetics practice or are considering retirement, this Practice Tip can help you navigate the retirement process by answering questions about maintaining/using your credential(s), continuing education opportunities, performing a self-assessment of competence, and more. Click here to learn more.
The Breastfeeding Registry Study
Image from https://www.eatrightpro.org/-/media/files/eatrightpro/practice/research/bf-registry-flyer8202021.pdf
The Breastfeeding Registry Study is a multi-site study that examines the documentation of RDNs who are providing breastfeeding or lactation support to their clients. The project will investigate the nutrition terminology currently being used in this area of care and the quality of the documentation, as well as the impact of nutrition care on problem resolution and nutrition-related outcomes in this population. The Academy Data Science Center (DSC) is collaborating with the University of North Florida (UNF) to lead this project. This project is also being conducted with the help of the Academy Foundation and funding from the Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group (PNPG) and Women’s Health Dietetic Practice Group (WH). Click here to learn more.
2023 MS-AND Annual Conference
Our 2023 MS-AND Annual Conference was a huge success. We were so glad to see everyone who could attend. We hope that you are all making plans to attend next year! We hope that you will take some time to click through the pictures below.
Its time to renew your Academy membership
Image from https://www.eatrightpro.org/
Our membership in the Academy runs June through May each year, so it is time to renew our membership. Click here for resources on:
- Member benefit guide, including
- Awards and recognition
- Career building
- Educational opportunities
- Networking
- Policy Initiatives and Advocacy
- Practice and Science
- Publications and Subscriptions
- Value of Membership
- Talking to your employer about paying your Academy dues
- Career Starter Dues Program
Evidence Analysis Library Publication
The Evidence Analysis Library is pleased to announce the publication of the Nutrition and Physical Activity: General Population Evidence-Based Nutrition Practice Guideline. Visit the EAL at www.andeal.org/npa to see the results of this important initiative.
Disorders of Lipid Metabolism: Saturated Fat Guideline (February 2023)
The Saturated Fat (2023) Evidence-Based Nutrition Practice Guideline is meant to inform shared decision-making for RDNs and healthcare professionals, along with their patients and clients, in acute, ambulatory, or public health settings on saturated fat intake to prevent or manage cardiovascular disease.
This EBNPG may also help inform public health messaging to improve cardiovascular health. The intended population is adults ≥ 18 years of age within the general population. This Saturated Fat guideline is for individuals living with and without cardiovascular disease, and the scope was not limited to adults with disorders of dyslipidemia. This EBNPG does not apply to children <18 years of age. www.andeal.org/dlm
Leave Your Legacy – How to Make a Planned or Estate Gift to the Foundation
There are many ways to make a significant, long-lasting gift to the Foundation that can support our efforts for years to come. Academy members have provided gifts of cash, securities, annuities, IRA charitable roll-overs and bequests for many mutually rewarding benefits. These gifts make an impact on future generations of RDNs, empowering them to solve the greatest global food and nutrition challenges. Visit the Foundation’s website and learn all ways you leave a legacy with our Foundation.
Join the Academy’s Affinity Groups
The Academy’s affinity groups are a great way to stay on the pulse of current public policy and advocacy efforts! These specialized groups connect members with an interest, experience and/or expertise in a specific policy issue area with opportunities to learn more and advocate. Affinity groups are open to all policy leaders and Academy members.
Academy’s Incident Reporting Tool Helps Ensure Consumer Protection
The Academy’s Incident Reporting Tool was created to assist in its efforts to protect the public, enhance the quality of nutrition care and promote self-regulation of the profession. The information collected from the Incident Reporting Tool will be used to facilitate stakeholders and policymakers’ understanding of the value of qualified RDN care, including elected leaders, state agency officials, other health care providers and the public. Learn more about the IRT here.
Career Opportunities
Nutrition Systems has open positions for Licensed Dietitian consultants in NE Mississippi and Gulf Coast regions. The covered accounts are skilled nursing facilities in the Tupelo and Ocean Springs areas.
The positions are part-time on an independent contractor basis with schedules ranging about 1-2 days per week. Nutrition Systems offers competitive pay with bonus opportunities, full travel reimbursement, family-first approach, as well as flexible self-scheduling of your consulting time with some remote off-site work possible. Paid training is provided in addition to multiple CEU opportunities throughout the year. Enjoy the support of working with a team of experienced RDNs and CDMs as well as numerous support staff throughout our company.
Nutrition Systems is a nutrition and foodservice consulting company that has been in business for over 40 years. With more 40 Registered Dietitian Nutritionists and Certified Dietary Managers, Nutrition Systems services over 325 accounts in MS, AL, LA, TX and OK. We specialize in long-term and skilled care, assisted living, independent senior living, childcare, corrections and foodservice consulting.
Contact:
South MS-
Laura Ewoldt, MS, RD, LD
[email protected]
601-270-9556
North MS-
Leslie Dooley, RDN, LD
[email protected]
662-645-1900