April 5, 2013
April 5, 2013 – FamilyCare, Inc., in partnership with Oregon State University, the Children's Health Alliance (CHA), and Women's Healthcare Associates (WHA), is piloting a new program aimed at improving nutrition for children and pregnant women. Beginning this summer, interns from Oregon State University's College of Public Health and Human Sciences accredited nutrition and dietetics internship program (called OSUDI) will work one-on-one with pregnant women who are FamilyCare members and patients of WHA, as well as children who are members and pediatric patients of CHA clinics. WHA is an integrated team of women's healthcare professionals with eleven Portland-area OB/GYN clinics, while CHA is an association of private practice pediatricians in the Portland-Vancouver area. Both physician groups contract with FamilyCare. After a collaborative workgroup of FamilyCare, WHA and CHA identified improved patient nutrition as a key priority, FamilyCare Assistant Medical Director Dr. Dan Roth reached out to OSU's Nutrition unit in the School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, the largest accredited nutrition and dietetics program in the state of Oregon. “We felt we could make a significant difference by focusing on the health of children and pregnant women who are Medicaid members,” says Roth. Students participating in the post-baccalaureate internships will have previously earned their Bachelor of Science degrees. Their internship with FamilyCare will provide opportunity to gain required clinical experience. OSU's dietetics program provides the coursework and training to enter supervised internships and pass the Registered Dietitian examination. “Typically, dietetic students primarily intern at nursing homes, dialysis centers and hospitals geared toward nutrition care of elderly populations,” explains Roth. “This project offers an opportunity for students to help improve health outcomes for younger patients, setting women and kids on a healthy path for the long term.” 825 NE MULTNOMAH, SUITE 300 866-798-CARE (2273) TTY: 800-735-2900 With rates of childhood obesity at epidemic levels in the U.S., project leaders say it has never been more crucial to introduce good nutrition to pregnant women. “One of our biggest challenges is childhood obesity and all of the complications that come with it,” says CHA Medical Director and pediatrician Dr. Resa Bradeen. On-site dietitians are not common in pediatric and OB/GYN offices, says Bradeen. “The internship program is a proactive solution to the obesity epidemic. “When good nutrition is established early, future health problems can be avoided.” Mary Cluskey, Ph.D., director of OSUDI, indicates that research evidence demonstrates that eating behaviors are established early, both by maternal prenatal diet and with feeding behaviors of infants and young children. “Interventions that begin early may make it easier to establish healthy eating behaviors.” The program will launch this summer with a small pilot involving two student interns. By fall, project leaders anticipate six students rotating among a handful of CHA and WHA clinics in the Portland Metro area.
