2020 Spring Conference
Plans for the 2020 Spring Conference are continuing! The conference will be held on March 26th and 27th, 2020 at the Clyde Muse Center in Pearl, MS. We will have another full agenda of some very talented speakers and presenters offering a wealth of information on a variety of topics to meet this year’s theme: Blueprint for Success. The MS-AND Board of Directors along with numerous other volunteers have worked tirelessly to create a schedule of events that we hope will appeal to all of you. We have at least one-hour CEU planned to help fulfill the Ethics requirement in our CDR Plan for Approval.
A reception will be held again this year at Table 100 shortly after the closing session on Thursday March 26th. One-hour CEU will be offered for abstract/poster sessions. This will be a great time to mingle with other RDNs in the State. Speakers from our conference will be invited to attend this reception to help increase our networking opportunities.
Be on the lookout for email updates and mailings which will include a complete agenda, promotional information regarding our speakers and registration information.
MS-AND and the New Decade
We are continuing to work to support our members and build a stronger organization for you. Help us continue in our growth by nominating candidates for the 2020-2021 Board of Directors and for our 2020 Prestige Awards.
The MS-AND Nominating Committee is accepting nominations for candidates for the 2020-2021 MS-AND Board of Directors. Open positions include President-elect, Professional Development Chair-elect (the Chair on Professional Issues and the Chair of Education and Research have been combined), and Nominating Committee member. Click here for more information and criteria.
The Nominating Committee is also seeking nominations for the following awards: Outstanding Dietitian of the Year, Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year, Emerging Dietetic Leader Award, and the Magnolia Award. Click here to view the description of each award. The deadline for award nominations has been extended to February 28, 2020. The MS-AND Board of Directors encourages everyone recognize our fellow dietitians by submitting a nomination for awards.
Please submit your nominations for elections and awards by emailing [email protected], [email protected], and [email protected] by February 28, 2020.
VJ Canizaro, MD Health Summit
The National Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute (NDORI), in affiliation with Cleveland Clinic Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute, is pleased to announce the VJ Canizaro, MD Health Summit to be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 (WORLD OBESITY DAY).
We are excited to invite us to join us for this one-day conference. We will provide up-to-date reviews in the management of diabetes and obesity, as well as the integration of healthcare providers addressing nutrition, stress, exercise strategies and current medications.
Visit us at www.ndori.org/events for the summit agenda and registration information.
We do have exhibit and sponsorship opportunities for this event. Join us in our mission to make a visible difference in diabetes and obesity education, prevention, treatment and research. Please feel free to also pass along within your organizations.
Farm to Cafeteria – Mississippi Style
On February 11, 2020 The Mississippi Food Network and partners coordinated the 2020 Mississippi Farm to Cafeteria Conference. Attendees started the day with a presentation from policy maker Zakiya Summers, Mississippi House of Representatives – District 68. The remainder of the day was filled with information about Farm to ECE, Farm to School, Networking with Local Farmers, Integrating Farm to School into the Curriculum, Procurement, and menu planning. There were also several opportunities to network and visit with the exhibitors. Visit http://mississippifarmtoschool.org to learn more. And while you are there, check out the next event: Mississippi Farm to School Institute 2020 on July 7th and 8th.
Do You “Fight BAC”?
Do you write or share recipes for patients, clients or customers? If you do, are there safe food handling practices included in the recipes? The Partnership for Food Safety Education and FMI Foundation coordinated the creation of the Safe Recipe Style Guide with tips for including cooking and internal temperature recommendations, hand washing procedures, cross contamination prevention and information about produce. They are based on the format used in the AP Style Book (in 2001, the AP Stylebook added a 16-page food section that includes an official AP Recipe Style).
Through research that has been conducted through The Partnership for Food Safety Education, FMI Foundation, USDA and other partners, it is understood that consumers know about food safety techniques, but are more likely to put those techniques into action when it is included in recipes. The developers of this toolkit feel that the exact food safety phrases listed in the toolkit should be used so that consumers will receive consistent messages.
September is Food Safety Education Month. In preparation for the 2020 event, look for information from The Partnership for Food Safety Education about a recipe contest to boost awareness of the Safe Recipe Guide and increase consumer access to quality recipes. The winning recipes will be featured online through The Partnership for Food Safety Education.
Double Up Food Bucks is BACK!
Jackson Medical Mall Foundation has secured funding to support the healthy food incentive program Double Up Food Bucks to sites across Mississippi.
Double Up Food Bucks (Double Up) increases the purchase of fruits and vegetables among low-income consumers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by doubling their dollars for more fresh produce. The program also supports local farmers by increasing produce sales.
“Double Up is a creative solution that improves healthy food access for families who need it most while providing real economic benefits for local farmers,” said Erin W. Smith, Double Up program director in Mississippi. “Programs like this can bolster local and regional food systems and help contribute to their long-term presence.”
Here’s how Double Up Works: For every $1 customers spend on fresh fruits and vegetables with their SNAP benefits, they receive an additional $1 to spend on their next produce purchase, up to $20 a day. This match is provided in the form of physical tokens at farmers markets and electronic coupons at grocery stores.
Double Up provides multiple benefits: it’s a win for families of lower income putting more healthy food on their tables; a win for local farmers selling more produce; and a win for area businesses as more food dollars circulate in the local economy.
Double Up Mississippi will launch at sites across the state this spring and run through October 2022. A list of participating locations can be found at doubleupms.com.
Double Up Mississippi is funded by multiple grants including a $841,000 award from The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) program. This federal grant is matched with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Fair Food Network among others.
Double Up was first piloted by Michigan-based national nonprofit Fair Food Network in 2009. Today it is a national model for healthy food incentives active in 27 states including more than 870 grocery and farmers market locations. Since 2009, more than $35 million in combined SNAP and Double Up healthy food purchases have been made. The success of Double Up programs in communities nationwide informed federal support for SNAP incentives, making it a permanent component of future farm bills.
“We are thrilled to see Double Up expanding in Mississippi,” said Oran Hesterman, founder and CEO of Fair Food Network. “This proven program is generating real benefits for families, farmers, and local businesses across the country.”
National Nutrition Month
Are you ready to help your community focus their attention on healthful eating through National Nutrition Month®? This year’s theme, Eat Right, Bite by Bite, promotes eating a variety of nutritious foods every day, planning and creating healthful meals each week and the value of consulting a registered dietitian nutritionist.
Check out toolkits, ideas and other resources here: https://www.eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month
National Nutrition Month® was initiated in 1973 as National Nutrition Week, and it became a month-long observance in 1980 in response to growing interest in nutrition.
The second Wednesday of March is celebrated as Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day to commemorate the dedication of registered dietitian nutritionists as the leading advocates for advancing the nutritional status of Americans and people around the world. This year’s celebration will be March 11.
Making Sure all Mississippi Students are Fed
The College and University Anti-Hunger Alliance of Mississippi February meeting took place on the Raymond Campus of Hinds Community College to begin the formation of a College Pantry Resource Toolkit. Members from Hinds Community College, Mississippi State University and Tougaloo College shared their experiences related to establishing pantries as well as how they plan to keep them in operation. The number of food pantries and closets are growing in Mississippi, including alliance members who attended the February meeting as well as the Eagles Nest food pantry at the University of Southern Mississippi, The University of Mississippi Food Bank, Tiger Pantry at Jackson State University, Tigers Den Food Pantry at Coahoma Community College, as well as others. Most of these locations also have clothes, personal hygiene items as well as basic school supplies.
The College and University Anti-Hunger Alliance of Mississippi is a group of like-minded organizations, individuals and community leaders who are interested in eradicating hunger on Mississippi’s higher education campuses including community and junior colleges, colleges and universities. The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi was recently awarded an Emerging Advocacy Fund Grant from MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. For more information visit www.healthy-miss.org/college-anti-hunger/ or [email protected].
Delegate Report
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics House of Delegates continued follow up after the Winter House of Delegates meeting. To review the meeting recap and other resources, please visit: http://bit.ly/2Pd1siT
Thank you to all of you who voted in the 2020 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics elections. The results can be found here: https://www.eatrightpro.org/leadership/nominations-and-elections/national-election?rdType=short_url&rdInfo=elections. Results from DPG and MIG elections can be found on those respective websites. Remember MS-AND will be holding our elections in March. You have until February 28 to nominate candidates for president-elect, professional development chair-elect, and nominating committee member.
Members of the Mississippi Legislature continue to work on issues, policy and other types of regulations. February 17th was the deadline for introduction of general bills and constitutional amendments. They are working towards their next deadline of March 3rd: all committees must report general bills and constitutional amendments originating in their own house by this date.
Mississippi’s own Elise Smith, who is the Chair, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Political Action Committee (ANDPAC) along with Mike Glasgow, Past-Chair, Academy’s Legislative and Public Policy Committee (LPPC) presented “Reaching Congress in Your Backyard: Using ANDPAC and TYCTW to Build Social Capital” to the members of the Public Policy Panel on February 18, 2020. They discussed advocacy strategies for successfully working with elected officials locally (like Take Your Congressperson to Work – TYCTW), planning and attending in-district events and how Academy policy leaders can utilize ANDPAC funds to strengthen our relationship with our congressional members. Remember, it is our role as an Academy member to be an advocate for our profession.
I look forward to hearing how you are celebrating National Nutrition Month and I look forward to seeing several of you at the 2020 MS-AND Annual Conference at the Muse Center in Pearl, MS on March 27th and 28th.
Sincerely,
Lydia West, MPH, RDN, LD, CC, Delegate
Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Don’t Miss the Silent Auction at the MS-AND Annual Meeting
The 2020 MS-AND Annual Meeting has many great features lined up from the speakers, to the networking and exhibitors and networking reception and professional poster session. But did you know you can win things like jewelry, a gift basket, or maybe even cash? All you have to do is buy tickets for our Silent Auction, which is held as a fundraiser for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Political Action Committee (ANDPAC). Simply buy a raffle ticket (1 for $5 or 3 for $10), write your name & contact info on it, and put it in the cup next to the item that you want to take home! At the end of the conference, we will draw names for each item and announce the winners.
Please consider donating raffle items for the silent auction! Donors will receive a complimentary raffle ticket, so it’s a win for us and a win for you, too! If you are donating an item, you can bring it with you to the conference OR contact Lydia West, Academy Delete ([email protected]) or Emmy Parkes, Public Policy Coordinator ([email protected]) with any questions.
About the fundraiser recipients:
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation was established in 1966 and is the only charitable organization devoted exclusively to promoting nutrition and dietetics. The Foundation exists as the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and its vision is a world where all people thrive through the transformative power of food and nutrition. Although it is affiliated with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the Foundation is an independent 501c3 public charity and is funded by grants, donations and sponsorships, not member dues. Additional information and resources can be found on their website: https://eatrightfoundation.org.
ANDPAC is the only political action committee broadly focused on food, nutrition and health. It ranks among the top health professional political action committees in the country. The goal is to support pro-nutrition candidates for federal office though raising funds, contributing money and developing relationships. ANDPAC offers Academy members the opportunity to explore many of the issues and activities involving political action and dietetics, as well as a directory of relevant links. For more information, please visit https://www.eatrightpro.org/advocacy.
