Registered Dietitians at Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic (YVFWC) are celebrating National Nutrition Month® (NNM) during the month of March. Health centers in Salem, Portland, Hermiston, Woodburn and Astoria offer patients visits with a registered dietitian as part of the regular primary care visit, free of charge. This service is a vital part of the Patient Centered Medical Home model of care.
"Put Your Best Fork Forward" is the theme for NNM 2017, which serves as a reminder that each one of us holds the tool to make healthier food choices.
As nutrition experts, YVFWC registered dietitians are helping patients make healthier food choices every day through the Women Infant and Children (WIC), and Primary Care Nutrition Services programs.
“The idea is to start talking about a healthy lifestyle before disease. Everyone eats, so most people have nutrition questions and goals they want to set,” YVFWC Nutrition Services Manager Briana Walker said.
As part of the Patient Centered Medical Home model of care, YVFWC offers patients visits with a registered dietitian as part of the regular primary care visit, free of charge. Last year YVFWC primary care registered dietitians conducted more than 30,000 visits.
YVFWC has 17 primary care registered dietitians on staff, providing an RD at each of the organization’s medical sites.
Registered dietitians at YVFWC counsel patients of all ages who have nutrition-related conditions and provide preventive education.
YVFWC’s primary care registered dietitians visit with 10-20 patients per day and focus on patients with chronic health conditions like diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity and also preventive care including visits with children and outreach events such as health fairs.
Currently, the YVFWC Nutrition Services team is working on preventive efforts at the clinics. This includes dietitians talking with patients and their families at well-child check visits, new patient exams, new prenatal appointments, and at sports physicals.
YVFWC also employs 13 registered dietitians serving its 15 WIC sites. Registered dietitians working with the WIC program provide nutrition support for pregnant and post-partum moms, infants, and children up to age 5. Last year WIC RDs conducted nearly 10,000 visits with clients. An important goal of the WIC program is to help increase healthy pregnancies and deliveries. WIC also aims to get children developmentally ready for kindergarten through nutrition guidance.
YVFWC also now offers healthy cooking classes at the teaching kitchen in Toppenish, Washington.
The kitchen is part of the new Toppenish Medical-Dental Clinic campus. Patients now have the opportunity to sign up for cooking classes that will focus on their area of health need. Future plans include an operational teaching kitchen in Salem, Oregon, at the new Lancaster Family Health Center.
YVFWC Nutrition Services offers well-rounded care for patients, from the exam room to the kitchen.
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About Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic: The Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides comprehensive medical, dental, and social services for more than 141,000 people throughout the Pacific Northwest. Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic employs 1,390 full-time staff and more than 600 part-time staff, medical residents, dental residents, students and volunteers. Facilities: 19 medical clinics, 10 dental clinics, 57 programs. Locations: Washington State clinics are located in Grandview, Prosser, Pasco, Spokane, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Yakima, Walla Walla and Wapato. In Oregon, clinics are located in Hermiston, Portland, Salem and Woodburn. Visit:www.yvfwc.com
National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.
