{"id":2952,"date":"2023-08-07T17:10:49","date_gmt":"2023-08-07T21:10:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/dietetic-internship-ispp\/?page_id=2952"},"modified":"2023-09-21T09:28:54","modified_gmt":"2023-09-21T13:28:54","slug":"newsletter-fall23","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/dietetic-internship-ispp\/newsletter-fall23\/","title":{"rendered":"Dietetic Internship Newsletter Issue XVII, Fall 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome New Junior Dietetic Interns, September 2023<\/b><\/h3>\n

This fall, we welcome our incoming class of junior interns!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Junior Dietetic Interns<\/strong> (from left to right); <\/span><\/i>Top row: <\/span>Hannah Stevens, Josh Golder, Darcy MacLean, Kara Murphy, Jilleon Farrell. <\/span>Bottom row: Kayla Raymond, Emalee Harrington, Jennifer Spain, Chesley Ferris, Agnes Prosser<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

<\/a>Letter from the Director<\/b><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

Hello preceptors, faculty, interns, and alumni, and welcome to the 2023 edition of the 91爆料 Dietetic Internship Newsletter! I would like to thank our preceptors and site coordinators for another great year of supervised practice experience for our interns. This past year has brought us together again through events such as the Maine Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spring Conference and our first in-person pinning ceremony since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our newsletter is filled with pictures of these wonderful occasions.<\/p>\n

Our congratulations to our finishing interns in 2022\/2023. They include Amelia Sullivan, Sarah Griffiths, Erica Magnuson, Lily Brickman, Sarah Loring, Ashley Reynolds, Danielle Breunig, Maddie Giordano, and Patty Neel. These interns represented the 91爆料 Dietetic Internship superbly. We are so proud of their accomplishments!<\/p>\n

This past year, we have also brought new preceptors and sites into the 91爆料 Dietetic Internship family. A warm thanks to Bowdoin College and Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital as they welcome interns into their organizations. Throughout our beautiful state, we see so many examples of our generous preceptors giving of their time to mentor and shape a new generation of dietetics professionals. Witnessing the dedication of our preceptors is one of the most fulfilling parts of this job.<\/p>\n

As we look forward to our annual Site Coordinator\/Preceptor meeting in the spring, we will hopefully be able to offer an in-person as well as a virtual option. Julie Milan, the Assistant Director of the Program and myself will be busy planning this event. Further details to come, but we look forward to seeing all of you and hope that you will be able to join us.<\/p>\n

Finally, I wish you all a great end of your summer. Thank you for your continued support of the 91爆料 Dietetic Internship Program. As always, feel free to reach out to myself or my colleague Julie Milan with any questions. We look forward to another great year of working with all of you!<\/p>\n

\n

<\/a>Semi-Annual Pinning Ceremony<\/b><\/h3>\n

In December 2022 and July 2023, 91爆料\u2019s graduating interns were awarded the RDN pin and a certificate of completion at the Semi-Annual Pinning Ceremony. A tradition that began in 2019, the ceremony, marks graduates\u2019 entrance into the dietetics profession.<\/p>\n

Ashley Reynolds, Sarah Loring, Sarah Griffiths, Maddie Giordano, and Amelia Sullivan took part in the ceremony in person at the 91爆料 in July 2023. Family, friends, and faculty gathered for the celebration, which concluded with hors d\u2019oeuvres and drinks.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Interns <\/b>(from left to right); Amelia Sullivan, Sarah Loring, Sarah Griffiths, Maddie Giordano, and Ashley Reynolds<\/span><\/i><\/h6>\n

Danielle Breunig, Erica Magnuson, Lily Brickman, and Patty Neel completed their internship in December 2022 and celebrated virtually via Zoom with family, friends, faculty and preceptors. Congratulations, and thank you to all of our preceptors and faculty who support our interns!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n\"\"<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Interns <\/b>(from left to right); Lily Brickman, Erika Magnuson, Danielle Breunig, and Patty Neel<\/span><\/i><\/h6>\n
\n

<\/a>Interns in the Field<\/b><\/h3>\n

Jordan Hess \u2013 Food Service Management<\/b><\/h4>\n

\"Jordan \"Jordan<\/span><\/p>\n

During his food service management rotation at MaineGeneral Medical Center, Jordan Hess developed and prepared a new menu item, <\/span>Chana Masala, <\/span><\/i>which included analyzing the recipe for its nutritional content. He cooked and served the item for the hospital cafeteria and implemented an evaluation of the dish for consumer acceptance. Jordan completed this project under the supervision of preceptor and Food Service Director, Shelley Goraj, MS, RD, LD.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read more about interns in the field….<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

<\/a>91爆料 Graduate Students and Dietetic Interns Showcase their Research in Sweden<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"a<\/a>
Emma Watras, Leigh Neptune, Caitlyn Winn and <\/span>Kayla Parsons at the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) conference in Uppsala, Sweden.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This summer, Kayla Parsons, Leigh Neptune, Emma Watras, and Caitlyn Winn attended the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) conference in Uppsala, Sweden, to showcase their research. Their projects focus primarily on nutrition education and eating decisions. Cait\u2019s and Emma\u2019s research was a small part of data that will be used for their Master\u2019s thesis projects, and Leigh\u2019s and Kayla\u2019s are part of their doctoral research. Leigh Neptune (pictured at left) presented orally, \u201cCommunity Based Participatory Research Methodologies are an Effective way to Create Relevant Programming to Support Physical and Mental Health in Perinatal Individuals\u201d. Kayla, Cait and Emma presented their research in poster format.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Emma
Emma Watras presented a poster titled: \u201cCooking Self-Efficacy and Nutrition Knowledge Predicts Diet Quality in College Students\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Cat
Caitlyn Winn presented a poster titled: \u201cPerceived Stress, Diet Quality, and Weight Satisfaction Predict Perceived Health in College Students\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Kayla
Kayla Parsons presented a poster titled: \u201cThe Relationship Between Intuitive Eating and Dining Out Frequency in Undergraduate Students in the United States\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/h3>\n

<\/a>GLOW (Guiding Lifemakers on Wellness) \u2013 Leigh Neptune, PhD Student at 91爆料<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Leigh
Leigh Neptune, MS, RDN, LD
PhD Student at 91爆料<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My research project is called GLOW (Guiding Lifemakers on Wellness). The goal of this research is to develop and pilot a web-based intervention to help support the physical and mental health of rural, low-income, pregnant and postpartum individuals living in Maine. Throughout 2022, our team worked together to create an online resource that will cater to the unique needs of our target population, and we plan to pilot the program later this year.<\/p>\n

I chose this area of study because maternal and reproductive health have always been areas of interest to me. While I\u2019m not yet a parent myself, so many people in my life are new parents and I have seen a glimpse of how difficult this transition can be. My greatest hope is to create something that will help people live healthier, more fulfilling lives, while also working toward my own professional goals, and I feel I\u2019ve been able to do that with this research.<\/p>\n

Read more about Leigh Neptune’s GLOW project<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>The WellNurse Master Chef Workshop \u2014 Kayla Parson, PhD Student at 91爆料<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Kayla
Kayla Parsons, MS, RDN, LD PhD Student at 91爆料<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I aim to develop and test the feasibility of a college-based culinary workshop which incorporates nutrition education, mindful eating, and body appreciation. My research is a part of the 91爆料\u2019s School of Nursing\u2019s WellNurse Interdisciplinary project. The WellNurse project is a longitudinal study which aims to reduce burnout and improve resilience among 91爆料\u2019s nursing community. The WellNurse project has developed and adopted several interventions for participants that promote mindfulness training, physical activity, peer tutoring and healthful eating habits.\u00a0For a quick glimpse of the entire project, check out this video!<\/a><\/p>\n

Prior to starting my PhD, I was naturally drawn towards the concept of intuitive eating. Once I gained the opportunity to collaborate with the WellNurse team, in addition to completing a mindfulness-based stress reduction course, and now, in the midst of completing a mindful eating teacher certification course; this interest has further evolved into the very similar concept of mindful eating. Mindful eating is the practice of non-judgmental awareness of all internal and external experiences during the act of eating. I\u2019m a proponent of mindful eating because it\u2019s rooted in non-judgement and self-compassion, and it\u2019s an accessible practice that has been shown to improve maladaptive eating behaviors.<\/p>\n

Read more about Kayla’s WellNurse Master Chef Workshop project.<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

<\/a>Public Policy Update from Kayla Parsons<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Kayla
Kayla Parsons (pictured right) and Sue Sullivan (not pictured) presented the Public Policy Leadership award to Representative Michele Meyer (pictured left) at the Maine State House in April 2023.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Maine Academy of the Nutrition and Dietetics (MAND), our state affiliate of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, contains several subcommittees, one of which is the Public Policy Panel (PPP). Maine\u2019s PPP has several functions, including advancing the Academy\u2019s policy priority areas and providing members with distinctive leadership opportunities. Through this among other initiatives, we aim to increase member advocacy across the state of Maine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maine\u2019s PPP has been busy in the past year, providing members with unique opportunities in shaping Maine\u2019s dietetics\u2019 profession. The PPP engaged in the rulemaking process to update dietetic licensure rules to reflect current language from the Academy in addition to other modifications. The PPP consulted with the Academy\u2019s trained staff in preparing suggestions, all of which were discussed with the\u00a0 MAND board members prior to submission. These suggestions will be reviewed by Maine\u2019s dietetic licensure board, once all board positions are filled. We are excited to see this process continue to unfold and the positive impact it will have on Maine\u2019s RDNs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, the PPP also worked diligently in crafting a modified version of the annual legislative event. The PPP acknowledges the importance of advocating for healthy school meals for all, and thus wanted to provide a spotlight for one the strongest childhood nutrition advocates in Maine, Jeanne Reilly. Reilly was recently awarded the Outstanding Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered Award for her dedication in advocating for school nutrition. The PPP will be virtually interviewing Jeanne Reilly to discuss her impressive work and thoughts regarding school nutrition in Maine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Coinciding with the legislative event, the PPP annually chooses a recipient for the Public Policy Leadership Award. This award is intended to recognize exceptional legislators who have consistently supported nutrition policy and health of the people of Maine. Representative Michele Meyer has exemplified this definition. Between being a registered nurse, a prime sponsor of the \u201cResolve, to Reduce MaineCare Spending Through Targeted Nutrition Interventions\u201d, and being the House Chair on the Committee of Health and Human Services, it\u2019s clear that Representative Meyer deserves this year\u2019s award. Susan Sullivan, MAND president, and Kayla Parsons, the Public Policy Coordinator, both presented Representative Meyer with an engraved wooden ladle at the state capital in April.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These are just a few of the highlights that the team has diligently focused on this year. We welcome all students, RDNs, DTRs, and anyone interested in advocacy to reach out to <\/span>Kayla.L.parsons@maine.edu<\/span><\/a> to learn more about the opportunities the MAND\u2019s Public Policy Panel can provide.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

Congratulations to Maine Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (MAND) Conference Awardees from The 91爆料!<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\t\t