PRACTICE APPLICATIONS President’s Page
Responsibilities, Resources, and Challenges
I
AM EXCITED TO SERVE AS YOUR Academy President for 20142015. Two life experiences are key to the thinking I bring to this esteemed office. First, I grew up on the plains of western Kansas in the 1950s, where my mother ran a diner. I always said, “No matter what I do in life, to be sure, it will have nothing to do with food.” Second, I had the great fortune to spend all 40 years of my professional life in a group that thought outside the box and did cutting-edge research on coronary risk factors and n-3 fatty acids—first on lipids and thrombosis, and then on the developing brain and retina from monkeys to term and preterm infants that contributed to the addition of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to infant formulas. We were always challenged to do more than we ever thought we could do—so we did. My primary responsibility as president is to focus the efforts of our Board of Directors and CEO, Pat Babjak, on setting the strategic direction for the Academy, and ensuring the Academy’s goals are being achieved and that we are financially strong. It is my vision that the Board will refine the Academy’s strategic direction by having fierce conversations that result in:
closing the gap between the number of graduates and paths to the registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) credential, such as establishment of a significant number of new internship programs focused on business and communications; members being included as providers in all aspects of the Affordable Care Act, strong licensure laws, and nutrition included in the electronic health record; greater impact on food policy, on consumer demand for healthy foods, and on the food industry to meet this demand; and more members acquiring doctorates and completing fellowships; for example, in research and development and in public policy.
ª 2014 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
A MONTHLY ACADEMY SHOWCASE I am amazed by everything our Academy staff and volunteer leaders have produced for members to help empower us to be the food and nutrition leaders so we can optimize health. Each month, I plan to use this space to showcase their exciting, cutting-edge work.
ACADEMY-DRIVEN OUTCOMES RESEARCH Our first example highlights the tremendous accomplishments of the Academy’s Research, International, and Scientific Affairs (RISA) Team. Outcomes research is critical to the establishment of our expertise in treatment and prevention of disease. To help meet this need, RISA established the Dietetics Practice-Based Research Network (DPBRN) so we can easily participate in Academy-driven outcomes studies. Projects include staffing levels (a study involving more than 400 RDNs), malnutrition, preventing diabetes, nutrition education, integrative and functional medicine, renal nutrition, and heart failure. Projects are being designed and executed through valuable relationships with the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, the Academy’s Foundation, and dietetic practice groups such as Clinical Nutrition Management, Renal Dietitians, Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine, and Diabetes Care and Education. There are many great reasons to join DPBRN; here are two: You will be informed about the latest studies coming from the Academy, and you can participate in studies that fit within your practice capabilities or interests. (Joining the research network does not commit you to participate in a study.) Join the DPBRN at www.eatright.org/ members/dbprn.
ANDHII Another great tool from RISA is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Health Informatics Infrastructure (ANDHII). ANDHII is a web-based clinical data repository that has been built over the past year and a half through
Sonja L. Connor intensive efforts from RISA and the medical software architects at Claricode through a grant from the Commission on Dietetic Registration. ANDHII offers specialized tools to support dieteticsrelated research, and it will play a key role in upcoming nationwide research initiatives. ANDHII has great potential to make life easier for dietetics practitioners by making the Nutrition Care Process more accessible, with instant search and intelligent suggestions to help us provide effective and efficient care to patients and clients. ANDHII allows for collection of comprehensive data about the nutrition care we provide and the outcomes of our treatment. Please join me in congratulating Science Officer Alison Steiber, PhD, RDN; Rosa Hand, MS, RDN, senior manager of the DPBRN; and William Murphy, MS, RDN, senior outcomes manager, who developed ANDHII and brought this great idea to fruition. For a demonstration of ANDHII’s capabilities, visit www. youtube.com and search for ANDHII.
INSPIRED CHALLENGES During the coming months, I will highlight more examples of all that is being done at the Academy on our behalf. I hope you will be inspired to use these resources—and that they challenge you to do more than you ever thought you could do. Sonja L. Connor, MS, RDN, LD [email protected] http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.05.008
JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
985
Responsibilities, Resources, and Challenges
I
AM EXCITED TO SERVE AS YOUR Academy President for 20142015. Two life experiences are key to the thinking I bring to this esteemed office. First, I grew up on the plains of western Kansas in the 1950s, where my mother ran a diner. I always said, “No matter what I do in life, to be sure, it will have nothing to do with food.” Second, I had the great fortune to spend all 40 years of my professional life in a group that thought outside the box and did cutting-edge research on coronary risk factors and n-3 fatty acids—first on lipids and thrombosis, and then on the developing brain and retina from monkeys to term and preterm infants that contributed to the addition of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to infant formulas. We were always challenged to do more than we ever thought we could do—so we did. My primary responsibility as president is to focus the efforts of our Board of Directors and CEO, Pat Babjak, on setting the strategic direction for the Academy, and ensuring the Academy’s goals are being achieved and that we are financially strong. It is my vision that the Board will refine the Academy’s strategic direction by having fierce conversations that result in:
closing the gap between the number of graduates and paths to the registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) credential, such as establishment of a significant number of new internship programs focused on business and communications; members being included as providers in all aspects of the Affordable Care Act, strong licensure laws, and nutrition included in the electronic health record; greater impact on food policy, on consumer demand for healthy foods, and on the food industry to meet this demand; and more members acquiring doctorates and completing fellowships; for example, in research and development and in public policy.
ª 2014 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
A MONTHLY ACADEMY SHOWCASE I am amazed by everything our Academy staff and volunteer leaders have produced for members to help empower us to be the food and nutrition leaders so we can optimize health. Each month, I plan to use this space to showcase their exciting, cutting-edge work.
ACADEMY-DRIVEN OUTCOMES RESEARCH Our first example highlights the tremendous accomplishments of the Academy’s Research, International, and Scientific Affairs (RISA) Team. Outcomes research is critical to the establishment of our expertise in treatment and prevention of disease. To help meet this need, RISA established the Dietetics Practice-Based Research Network (DPBRN) so we can easily participate in Academy-driven outcomes studies. Projects include staffing levels (a study involving more than 400 RDNs), malnutrition, preventing diabetes, nutrition education, integrative and functional medicine, renal nutrition, and heart failure. Projects are being designed and executed through valuable relationships with the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, the Academy’s Foundation, and dietetic practice groups such as Clinical Nutrition Management, Renal Dietitians, Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine, and Diabetes Care and Education. There are many great reasons to join DPBRN; here are two: You will be informed about the latest studies coming from the Academy, and you can participate in studies that fit within your practice capabilities or interests. (Joining the research network does not commit you to participate in a study.) Join the DPBRN at www.eatright.org/ members/dbprn.
ANDHII Another great tool from RISA is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Health Informatics Infrastructure (ANDHII). ANDHII is a web-based clinical data repository that has been built over the past year and a half through
Sonja L. Connor intensive efforts from RISA and the medical software architects at Claricode through a grant from the Commission on Dietetic Registration. ANDHII offers specialized tools to support dieteticsrelated research, and it will play a key role in upcoming nationwide research initiatives. ANDHII has great potential to make life easier for dietetics practitioners by making the Nutrition Care Process more accessible, with instant search and intelligent suggestions to help us provide effective and efficient care to patients and clients. ANDHII allows for collection of comprehensive data about the nutrition care we provide and the outcomes of our treatment. Please join me in congratulating Science Officer Alison Steiber, PhD, RDN; Rosa Hand, MS, RDN, senior manager of the DPBRN; and William Murphy, MS, RDN, senior outcomes manager, who developed ANDHII and brought this great idea to fruition. For a demonstration of ANDHII’s capabilities, visit www. youtube.com and search for ANDHII.
INSPIRED CHALLENGES During the coming months, I will highlight more examples of all that is being done at the Academy on our behalf. I hope you will be inspired to use these resources—and that they challenge you to do more than you ever thought you could do. Sonja L. Connor, MS, RDN, LD [email protected] http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.05.008
JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
985
