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Delegate's Report
Paula Kellogg Leibovitz
The Spring 2010 House of Delegates Meeting will be conducted in a web-based environment and is scheduled for May 1 and 2, 2010. The two dialogue issues that are scheduled to be discussed during the meeting are Health and Nutrition Literacy and Management and Leadership.
Mega Issue1: Health and Nutrition Literacy:
- Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.
- Health literacy affects people's ability to navigate the healthcare system, including filling out complex forms and locating providers and services; share personal information, such as health history, with providers; engage in self-care and chronic-disease management; and understand mathematical concepts such as probability and risk.
- In addition to basic literacy skills, health literacy requires knowledge of health topics.
- The Institute of Medicine has highlighted health-disparity reduction and health-literacy improvement as critical components for high-quality health and health care for Americans.
- RD and DTR Responsibility
- The primary responsibility for improving health literacy lies with health professionals and health systems. Former U.S. Surgeon General Kenneth P. Moritsugu said it is the responsibility of health professionals such as registered dietitians "to communicate in such a way that those we serve can hear, understand, embrace and ultimately put into action, the knowledge, the science, the evidence, the counsel that we provide them, so they can make better health decisions for themselves."
- Mega Issue Question: How can RDs and DTRs collaborate with others to optimize the health and nutrition literacy of the US population?
Mega Issue 2: Management and Leadership Across Practice:
- Why Management and Leadership?
- Management skills offer Registered Dietitians (RD) and Dietetic Technicians, Registered (DTR) an avenue for professional development and opportunity for career ladder advancement with increasing years of experience. Management and leadership abilities ultimately benefit the entire profession of dietetics, as RDs and DTRs become more highly valued employees in our institutions and organizations.
- Why Does Management and Leadership Matter?
- RDs and DTRs may perceive that management is focused on positions in foodservice or industry. But the skills needed to prepare for a secure future within many organizations will be tied to the ability to successfully demonstrate the application of management within all areas of dietetics practice.
- Mega Issue Question: What is needed to influence and encourage RDs/DTRs to hold, aspire to hold, or function in a leadership or executive role in all environments?
Practitioners need to understand and value that management and leadership skills are essential components used in all areas of practice. The education and training of dietetics practitioners already includes curriculum and competencies in management and leadership; however, RD/DTRs do not always adopt a mindset or promote themselves as managers or leaders; other professionals whose academic training in management may be minimal are promoted to positions of leadership more readily.
To obtain the full backgrounder on both of these mega issues, visit
www.eatright.org/HODMegaIssues.
ADA Voting Update: How did we do? Thanks to all members who voted in the ADA elections. This year, 18.64% of CDA members voted. This represents a slight improvement over 2009 when 18.03% of our membership voted. On a national level, only 13% of all eligible members voted. The state with the highest percentage of voting members was Nebraska (30.41%).
Resolving a Profession or Member Issue: Responding to Members
Submitting an issue to the Issues Management committee is simple and is a great way for the Association to hear the voice of its members. Issues submitted have covered topics ranging from practice matters to suggestions for the ADA Web site. This membership benefit is a valuable tool not only for the member but also for the Association. The process does not guarantee a fix to a problem or issue, but provides ADA with information from members that is used to strengthen the Association and the profession of dietetics. Members are encouraged to use the Issues Management Process to submit issues of concern to the Association. Please submit issues to the Issues Management Committee mailbox at Issuesmgmt@eatright.org.
Your input, questions and ideas are very important and I hope you feel free to contact me at keleibo@cox.net.
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