President’s Message
Welcome to the 2019-2020 MS-AND Board of Directors
MS-AND Board of Directors held the final board meeting and Board Transition meeting at Marketing Agents South, in Ridgeland, MS, on May 16, 2019. We are pleased to welcome the 2019-2020 Board of Directors and contracted positions:
Brady Taylor – President
Heather White – President-elect
Lydia West – Past President
Mary Burks – Treasurer (2nd year of 2-year term)
Dana Schaub – Secretary (1st year of 2-year term)
Rebecca Butz – Chair, Professional Development
Leslie Dooley – Chair, Nominating Committee
Roxanne Kingston – Chair-elect, Nominating Committee
Karen Johnson – Member, Nominating Committee
Emmy Parkes – Public Policy Coordinator
Jenna Moore – Diet Manuel Manager
Carrie Kiley – Executive Director
Rachel Whitlock – Executive Assistant
(Left to Right) 2019-2020 Board Members Leslie Dooley, Chair Nominating Committee; Dana Schaub, Secretary; Brady Taylor, President; Heather White, President-elect
(Left to Right, Back Row) Leslie Dooley, Dana Schaub, Brady Taylor, Heather White, Laura Ewoldt (Front Row) Karen Lewis, Lydia West, Jenna Moore
Our Affiliate is in a Positive Transition
On June 1, 2019, MS-AND will have a whole new Board of Directors. We will also have a new local arrangement for our local meetings. Our membership voted for this affiliate to change from a district set up to a regional arrangement, which will start with the 2019-2020 term. A separate letter will be sent out from current MS-AND President, Lydia West with additional details. The main concepts for this transition are that we will now have four regions in the state: (1) Northeast, (2) North West, (3) Central, and (4) Southern. Each region will have 1-2 Regional Coordinator(s) to help organize meetings around the region and connect with members. There will be a Regional Liaison appointed by the executive committee to act as a link and resource for each of the regional coordinators and the MS-AND Executive Committee. Some of the regional meetings will include CPE opportunities, others will be more focused on networking with nutrition professionals, dietetic interns and students in the area. We are looking forward to this progressive development and welcome any feedback you have about the process.
If there are sessions offered that looks interesting to you, but it is in an area that is different than where you live or work, we encourage you to attend it as well. That is one of the benefits of being in a regional organization, rather than a district organization.
If you are interested in serving as a Regional Coordinator for your area, please contact [email protected]. Also, please let us know if you have any questions, concerns or other feedback.
Summer 2019 Elections
The newly adopted updated MS-AND Bylaws created a new position for a Treasurer-elect. This position will be a one year term and will then serve in the two year Treasurer position. It allows the Treasurer-elect to be mentored by the current Treasurer, so that when he or she serves as Treasurer, they will have a more comprehensive understanding about our affiliate’s financial plans and responsibilities.
Please submit nominations for Treasurer-elect to Laura Ewoldt, [email protected], by June 1, 2019. Please email [email protected] for more information or if you have any questions.
MS-AND Helps Jackson Eat Well. Move More. Live Longer.
The City of Jackson Department of Personnel Management and Insurance held a Health and Wellness Fair for their employees on Friday, May 17, 2019. Qula Madkin and Lydia West hosted a booth at the fair to help bring awareness to the services that are available to city employees and encourage them to healthy lives. Qula also did a presentation for the Health and Wellness Fair participants. Over 500 city employees attended the fair.
Expanding our Reach and our Resources
On May 9, 2019 dietitians from the Metro-Jackson area caught up for Mississippi’s first Diversify Dietetics Meet Up. It was organized by Qula Madkin, the MS-AND Diversity Liaison. Qula has been working all year, speaking to high school students about our fields and helping MS-AND leaders to think about groups that we can reach with efforts to increase diversity in our profession (such as people of color, people looking into dietetics as a second career, as well as men).
The Diversify Dietetics Meet Ups are events supported by a national group called Diversify Dietetics (website: www.diversifydietetics.org, Facebook: www.facebook.com/diversifydietetics/, Instagram: @diversifydietetics) where people meet with local dietetics students, interns, mentors, professionals and educators. The mission of Diversity Dietetics is to increase diversity in the field of nutrition by empowering students and young professionals from underrepresented minority groups to join the next generation of nutrition experts.
There will be more Diversify Dietetics Meet Ups offered around the state this fall. Check in with the MS-AND events calendar (https://eatrightmississippi.org/events/) and Diversify Dietetics website to find out as events are scheduled.
Current Action Alerts
Please log into the Academy Action Alert Center for an easy way to contact your national Senators and Congressman asking them to support current legislation that would benefit us as Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. To get started, click here: https://www.eatrightpro.org/advocacy/take-action/action-center, then log in with your Academy user name and ID
There are currently two Action Alerts listed:
- Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act (R.1840, S.814) – this removes barriers to Medicare beneficiaries’ access to Diabetes Self-Management Training and creates opportunities for RDNs to provide effective nutrition care services. The bill will allow RDNs to administer same-day DSMT and MNT services to patients and allow for an additional 6 hours of DSMT per year beyond the initial 10 hours covered by Medicare.
- The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2019 (H.R.1530, S.595) will allow a registered dietitian nutritionist or other qualified healthcare practitioner to independently provide intensive behavioral counseling services for Medicare beneficiaries with obesity and facilitate beneficiaries’ access to treatment options.
Central District Stretches Their Limits
The Central District of MS-AND had a yoga session with their final meeting of the 2019-2020 year at Flowood Nature Park on May 2, 2019. The session was lead by Brittany Simmons, MS, RD, RYT 200 and MS-AND Past President.
Let’s Get Local
The Northeast District of MS-AND gathered at Native Son Farm in Tupelo for a pancake breakfast and pick-your-own strawberry day on Saturday, May 18, 2019.
Nutritious Meals in our Schools
Mississippi schools that participate in the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs (SBP and NSLP) are fortunate to also have access to a statewide purchasing cooperative. This is helpful because it allows for variety of quality products that meet national and state nutrition standards, and it encourages competitive prices of the products.
Two MS-AND members, Doris Schneider and Lydia West help with recipe development and revisions for a Mississippi Department of Education, Office of Child Nutrition (MDE OCN) project called Mississippi Recipes for Success (https://mrs.mdek12.org/). Recently these two members helped test new recipes for a whole grain product that could be included in school menus this next school year.
Registered Dietitian – Paid Job Posting
Registered Dietitian- Dialysis
Position Summary: The Registered Dietitian provides dietary services to ESRD patients dialyzing at the Dialysis Unit.
Minimum Requirement: Formal training which will probably be indicated by certification as a Registered Dietitian or eligible for registration achieved through the American Dietetic Program or Traditional Dietetic Internship Program; training and experience in renal nutrition preferred with emphasis being placed on nutritional assessment techniques.
Excellent benefits including 401k plan and competitive salary. May apply in person, Monday – Friday, Cloverleaf Medical Plaza Building, 5909 HWY 49 S., Suite 10, Hattiesburg, MS. For more information about positions or for an appointment please call 601-296-2917/601-296-2900. (A service of Hattiesburg Clinic
There are no special physical requirements for this position.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Morrison Healthcare PRN Registered Dietitian -Paid Job Posting
Morrison Healthcare is seeking a PRN Registered Dietitian at Merit Health Natchez. Maternity PRN coverage is also needed for 14-15 weeks (5 days per week with weekends and holidays on call), beginning October 1st.
Responsibilities:
- Responsible for providing medical nutrition therapy including nutrition assessment, diet modification, nutrition education, and intervention for patients
- Incorporate current evidence-based research into practice, utilizing the Nutrition Care Process
- Comply with guidelines as outlined within the Company Diet Manual and the Clinical Nutrition Policies & Procedures Manual
- Ensure patient satisfaction, quality care, regulatory agency compliance, and good public relations are achieved through the safe and efficient use of resources
For more information about the position, please contact:
Candace LaVigne
Dietitian Talent Acquisition Recruiter
Compass Group, USA
O: 804-263-5003
To apply, please select the link below.
https://career8.successfactors.com/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=222288&company=CGNA&username=
Onsite Health Coach, Southern MS – Paid Job Posting
The Wellness/Health Coach utilizes a collaborative process, in conjunction with the client’s wellness champions, to plan and implement wellness events and programs to promote/influence members in decisions related to achieving and maintaining optimal health status. The goal of these programs/events is to help members achieve healthy lifestyle behaviors and align these lifestyle behaviors with individual wellness goals.
Fundamental Components:
- Role will support wellness
- Events in the workplace including but not limited to wellness challenges, health fairs, presentations and individual and group coaching.
- Work at home
- With travel to client locations up to 5 days/week required.
Topics to be delivered can focus on weight management, stress management, tobacco cessation, nutrition, physical activity and other healthy lifestyle topics.
The goals of wellness promotion programs is to help members understand and develop awareness of healthy lifestyles and align lifestyle behavior with personal wellness goals.
Role is responsible for building relationships with wellness champions through outreach phone calls, emails, drop ins, and at wellness champion trainings.
Role should also should promote and build awareness around internal and vendor partner’s health and wellness programs and resources.
This role as onsite health coach acts as the face of the health and wellness programs for this client.
Background Experience:
- 3-5 years of coaching experience
- Masters Degree in Public Health, Exercise physiology, nutrition, or other health areas preferred but not required Experience facilitating health/wellness presentations both in person and virtually Background in motivational interviewing, active listening skills, Transtheoretical Model, mindfulness based and other evidence-based coaching techniques preferred.
- Experience in wellness related areas such as weight management, tobacco cessation, stress management, nutrition, physical activity or health lifestyle behavior change Excellent computer skills including MS Office applications such as Excel, Word and Outlook.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate, problem solve, and work effectively with people, use good judgment in challenging situations Ability to build relationship with wellness champions and build a culture of health
Additional Job Information:
- Three to five years’ experience with healthy lifestyle coaching for weight management, tobacco cessation, nutrition, physical activity and/or stress management with experience in delivering coaching in various workplace settings at locations across the southern part of Mississippi.
- Candidate needs ability to build rapport with wellness champions, be persistent, professional, and creative in building new relationships.
- Experience in developing and leading onsite wellness classes- requires strong skill set in public speaking/presentations.
- Strong desires to coach, motivate, and support members.
- Ability to work with a virtual multidisciplinary team.
- An understanding of management of chronic health conditions, especially as it relates to Diabetes, Obesity and Hyperlipidemia.
- Excellent computer skills including MS Office applications such as Word, Outlook, PowerPoint.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills required to be successful in this role.
Potential Telework Position:
Yes
Percent of Travel Required:
75 – 100%
EEO Statement:
Aetna is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer
Benefit Eligibility:
Benefit eligibility may vary by position. Click here to review the benefits associated with this position.
Candidate Privacy Information:
Aetna takes our candidate’s data privacy seriously. At no time will any Aetna recruiter or employee request any financial or personal information (Social Security Number, Credit card information for direct deposit, etc.) from you via e-mail.