Kentucky Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Nutrition Conference and Exhibition

As my rotation in Medical Nutrition Therapy came to a close, so began the annual conference for the Kentucky Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (KAND).

Affiliated with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, KAND shares in the mission of empowering members to be food and nutrition leaders. Additionally, this organization is an advocate of the dietetics profession serving the public through the promotion of optimal nutrition, health and well-being.

This was my first experience with KAND and it was inspiring to be surrounded by like-minded individuals, who have also chosen to devote their work to improving the nutritional status of the public.

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Pre-conference Breastfeeding Summit

Unlike the remainder of the dietetic interns, I chose to participate in the pre-conference Breastfeeding Summit prior to the actual annual meeting. The topic of breastfeeding and infant nutrition is of particular interest to me and I have attempted to attend this event several times in the past. I am so glad I was able to attend this year and learn more about this subject.

A majority of the information relayed at the summit was related to Baby Friendly hospitals, including policies surrounding Kangaroo Care and the journey to becoming a facility recognized as "Baby Friendly." I find the legitimization process and policies fascinating, especially since I had just completed my MNT rotation and learned a lot about hospital administration and employees.

Not to mention, I was fortunate to meet a wide variety of professionals who are interested in breastfeeding, from nurses and midwives to physicians and RDs with WIC. The community of breastfeeding advocates is quite small and several of the speakers encouraged us to seek out one another for support to inspire change. 

Lastly, we discussed recent legislation that was passed in Kentucky which supports breastfeeding mothers. SCR 9 is a concurrent resolution which recognizes the importance of removing barriers to breastfeeding in the Commonwealth. To read the bill in its entirety, click here.

KAND Annual Conference

Even though I have no past experience attending KAND events, I will proclaim that this was the best professional meeting that I have ever attended, and not only because there was food! The board members of KAND, with a lot of help from a classmate/friend of mine from our department at UK, did a great job pulling off the week's events. There were fantastic exhibits, informative guest speakers, educational interaction with state representatives and legislators, and well, then there was  also the fabulous food. 

I wish I could go into detail for each guest speaker we heard from throughout the week, but unfortunately I don't think anyone reading has that kind of time. However, I will say that my favorite speakers were those who spoke about agriculture and its relevance to us as nutrition experts. There are different methods to food production that ultimately have an impact on the health of society and the sustainability of our environment. It was very intriguing to hear different sides of the argument related to conventional vs. organic farming practices, coupled with an insanely informative presentation by UK researcher and professor Mark Williams. I found myself wanting to go outside and play in some dirt. Maybe even grow some things!

Legislative Day

My favorite part about the KAND Annual Conference was participating in Legislative Day at the capital in Frankfort. It had been a very long time since I had visited the capital building and it was such a unique experience. Here are the highlights of a few incredible things that happened.

We began our day by meeting with Senator Jared Carpenter of Madison County about including diabetes prevention under Medicaid healthcare coverage. 

This topic was particularly interesting to me after working at Franklin Regional Medical Center alongside a Certified Diabetes Educator. She was constantly managing clients' counseling schedules based on their health insurance coverage, which was quite the challenge.

For clients with Medicaid, which was the majority of our population, there were very specific rules about when their coverage would cover counseling with an RD. It is unfortunate that this population is also more likely to need help from an RD in managing their diabetes. 

We hope that Senator Carpenter heard our case that day and that prevention measures will be covered by Medicaid, including services from Registered Dietitians. 

Without a doubt, the coolest thing that happened during Legislative Day was watching the Senate in action. We were permitted to sit in the gallery and observe their session.

Senator Robin Webb brought KAND's resolution to the floor, and we were all present when they passed the legislation deeming March 24, 2016 as Kentucky Registered Dietitian Day. It felt so empowering to stand as a group and represent our profession.

It was such a blast networking at the KAND Annual Conference last week that I passed my information along for potentially volunteering in some capacity with the board next year. There are a few lines still cast that have quite a hold on my future, but it would be such a spectacular opportunity if my schedule permits.

On to Food Service!

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Competencies:
CRD 2.9 Participate in professional and community organizations.
CRD 2.10 Establish collaborative relationships with other health professionals and support personnel to deliver effective nutrition services.
CRD 2.11 Demonstrate professional attributes within various organizational cultures.
CRD 2.12 Perform self-assessment, develop goals and objectives and prepare a draft portfolio for professional development as defined by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
CRD 2.13 Demonstrate negotiation skills.