UW News

November 8, 2011

Harborview dietitians receive preceptor award from UW graduate program

UW Health Sciences/UW Medicine

Nutrition Services at Harborview

The Harborview Medical Center dietitian staff has been honored by UW graduate program in dietetics with the  2011 Excellent Preceptor Award. The award stated, “Your excellent role modeling and clear commitment to the students created a learning environment that was truly outstanding and greatly appreciated. Your contribution, not only to the interns, but also to the field of dietetics is both significant and inspirational…”

Dietitians from the ambulatory clinics at Harborview Medical Center. See end of article for identifications.

Dietitians from the ambulatory clinics at Harborview Medical Center. See end of article for identifications.

 

Katie Farver, director, Nutrition Services, at Harborview, said that the registered dietitian staff at the medical center provide comprehensive and complex nutrition services for patients, lead nutrition-related clinical practice, teach and create standards related to their scope of practice.The teaching component of their assignments is extensive, she said, including educating and precepting  a variety of students and professionals, including graduate nutrition and pharmacy students, visiting physician and allied healthcare providers, medical students, resident physicians, physician fellows and attending physicians in the intricacies of medical nutrition therapy and nutrition counseling in their specialty area.

Additionally, the dietitians contribute to research and publish in peer-reviewed journals as well as provide nutrition lectures and training to outside professional groups.

The dietitians are often called upon by other registered dietitians and allied health care providers locally, statewide and nationally to provide leadership in establishing standards of care for patients in their specialty areas.  They are also frequently consulted by others outside of UW Medicine to advise on nutrition-related complex patient care issues.

Dietitians who work on the nutritional needs of hospitalized patients at Harborview. See end of article for identifications.

Dietitians who work on the nutritional needs of hospitalized patients at Harborview. See end of article for identifications.

Harborviews  ambulatory care  registered dietitians areas of expertise include medical nutrition therapy and nutrition counseling for clinic patients with diabetes, HIV, liver disease, gastrointestinal problems, other chronic diseases, as well as for oral surgery patients and babies and moms in the Maternal Support Services.

What does it take to be a registered dietitian at Harborview? Harborview Medical Centers registered dietitians are required to have:

  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, providing a curriculum that has been approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association).
  • An accredited six to twelve month long CADE internship. This must be completed satisfactorily from one of the following; a healthcare facility, a community facility or agency, or a foodservice corporation. This is in combination with the applicants college or university courses, either undergraduate or graduate.
  • Passed the required examination administered nationally by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics accrediting body.
  • Certification with the State of Washington

    Lastly, applicants must annually update their Registered Dietitian accreditation and Certification with continued coursework and studies into the latest nutrition research and evidence-based practice.

    Shown in the photos on this page:

    Harborview’s dietitians for outpatients:(Left to right)
    Vickeri Barton, Ann Lipkin, Iwona Steplewska, Lisa Messerli, Karen Conger, Sara Lynch, Lorren Negrin, Ben Atkinson

    Harborview’s dietitians for hospitalized patients: (Left to right)
    Andrea Unger, Ruth Thomas, Natalia Bailey, Megan Nordlund, Courtney McCliment, Susan McBride, Marilyn Shelton, Ashley Jones, Molly Clark, Lindsey Hays, Annika Garman, Katie Farver