Dietetic Internship - Affiliated Sites
We are updating our site listings and descriptions. Please check back before you submit your internship application for the most up-to-date listing and site descriptions.
Note: Interns are generally assigned to one facility for each of the three main rotations they complete - clinical, food service management, and community. The combination of rotation sites for any one intern varies from year to year. The sites listed below have been used for the last few years. Occasionally, sites will change from year to year and may not be listed here. Each site is coded as a clinical [CL], food service management [MGT], or community nutrition/nutrition education [COMM] site. Each facility used for a Dietetic Internship rotation is listed with the town in which the facility is located. Some rotations (particularly the community ones) may require travel to other sites away from the "home base" of the facility. Websites are listed for those facilities that have them. You are encouraged to “visit” the affiliated site's website by clicking on the link for more information.
All UMass Dietetic interns spend two weeks at the VA Medical Center in Northampton to cover quality assurance, improvement competencies, and outpatient counseling. http://www.visn1.med.va.gov/northampton/
Most of our affiliated sites are in the Amherst/Springfield area. We do have affiliated sites for rotations in the Berkshires as well as in Central and Eastern Massachusetts. Please refer to a map if you are unsure of the locations of these sites.
Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA [CL]: Baystate Medical Center is a 500-bed teaching hospital associated with Tufts University School of Medicine. The Food and Nutrition Services Department employs several full-time and part-time clinical dietitians. Specialties in the clinical area include pediatrics, cardiology, neurology, intensive care/trauma, renal disease/dialysis, oncology, and neonatology. The intern is exposed to all of these areas but the primary focus of the clinical rotation is to refine skills on a medical/surgical unit. The intern is responsible for nutrition screening of patients on the assigned unit(s), conducting diet instructions, and planning nutrition care for patients on supplemental feedings, tube feedings, and parenteral nutrition. The intern is also required to participate in multidisciplinary rounds. Interns are generally assigned to this facility in pairs (2 interns at a time), and scheduled to be at the facility for three full days per week. www.baystatehealth.com
Noble Hospital, Westfield, MA [MGT, CL]: Noble Hospital is a 90 bed general hospital whose mission is to be the hospital of choice for surrounding communities, including Northwestern Connecticut. The hospital is committed to the delivery of total quality health care services based on market needs. The Nutrition and Food Services Department is comprised of approximately 25 FTE and provides clinical services, patient food, cafeteria and catering services. During the management rotation, the intern participates in all aspects of the department, with emphasis placed on menu planning, inventory, ordering, budgeting, patient and customer satisfaction and quality improvement activities. The intern will learn how to conduct employee interviews, evaluate employee performance, and address disciplinary issues. The goal of the management rotation is to give the intern the basic skills necessary to function as an entry-level food service supervisor/manager. In the clinical rotation, interns work with clinical staff in all aspects of patient care, Interns spend 4 weeks at BayState Medical Center. www.noblehospital.org
Mercy Medical Center, Springfield, MA [CL]: Mercy Medical Center, a 180 bed community hospital, is a part of the Sisters of Providence Health System which is a faith-based, non-profit organization serving all patients regardless of background or ability to pay. We are known for our tradition of a high-touch, holistic approach to health care combined with state-of-the-art medical technology. The interns are exposed to all areas of nutritional care at Mercy Medical Center, Weldon Rehabilitation Hospital and Providence Behavioral Health Hospital. The goals of the clinical rotation are to apply and refine Nutrition Care Process skills. The intern is responsible for nutrition assessments, conducting diet instructions, and developing nutrition care plan/goal, and monitoring/evaluating the plan. Interns doing their clinical rotation at Mercy will have the opportunity to spend time at Baystate Medical Center to get exposure to renal, oncology and pediatrics.
Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Northampton, MA [MGT, CL]: For more than 120 years, Cooley Dickinson Hospital has met the health care needs of Pioneer Valley residents. Talented physicians and dedicated employees are committed to delivering health care that reaches the highest standards. This collaboration is at the core of Cooley Dickinson’s goal of becoming a model for how patient care is delivered at our nation’s community hospitals. And nationally recognized organizations such as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and CareScience, have designated Cooley Dickinson as a top-performing hospital. With 125 beds, Cooley Dickinson offers ‘round-the-clock emergency care, state-of-the-art imaging services, medical, surgical, cardiovascular and cancer care, childbirth services and women’s health, behavorial health, rehabilitation and laboratory services. In addition, visiting nurse and hospice providers offer a broad spectrum of health care to community members at home. To read about our quality initiatives and to learn what our patients are saying about Cooley Dickinson Hospital, visit www.cooley-dickinson.org .
Cooley Dickinson is A Local Hero™ Hospital. Items and products purchased by Cooley Dickinson’s Food and Nutrition Department are selected with a goal of improving sustainability. We are committed to purchasing local produce and have built a strong relationship with local farmers. We receive regular deliveries of eggs and produce from our community farmers. A study carried out by one intern in 2005 was presented as a poster at the 2006 American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Exhibition.
As a food service management intern at Cooley Dickinson Hospital, you can expect to be involved at both an active, operational level and in the planning and decision making for the department. You will be involved in direct patient care and food production 50 percent of the time, while spending the other 50 percent working on projects, interviewing staff and taking part in decision making discussions with the supervisors and director. Click on the following link to see a video clip about Cooley Dickinson's Healthy Food in Healthcare Pledge shown on local television.
UMass Extension, Amherst [COMM]: The UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program (NEP), through research-based information, promotes a healthy diet, helps lower the risk of foodborne illness and chronic disease, and emphasizes management of food resources. Nutrition educators and trained volunteers provide information for children and adults at high risk and community agency staff through workshops, home study courses, conferences, newsletters, and mass media. "Food & Nutrition: News and Reviews" is published three times per year. Project emphases include EFNEP, the elderly, child nutrition, buying foods on a budget, dietary guidelines in practice, and food safety. The intern works with the NEP team, and gains experience from both the state and local offices. Learning about resources in the community, observation of nutrition education, development of fact sheets or curricula, teaching others, and providing information to consumers and participating in program planning and evaluation efforts is included in the rotation experience. Time schedule is flexible, but some travel and all-day meetings will be necessary. www.umassextension.org
UMass Extension, Boston [COMM]: This is a field office of the UMass Extension Nutrition Education Program (NEP) overseen directly by Amherst. We deliver programs to community agencies serving low-income families.Programming for the Boston office includes working with Head Start, public schools, WIC, health centers, and a teen mothers program. We deliver 4 to 6 week series of lessons centered around MyPyramid, develop and distribute newsletters, bulletin boards, and participate in health fairs and other events sponsored by our partnership organizations as well. As an intern working with us, you will participate in each of these aspects of programming and can expect to learn the position of a nutrition educator, by developing lesson plans, bulletin boards, and other materials, and presenting to our audiences. The schedule is flexible but based on the demand for programming.Visit us at: www.umassextension.org and search for the Boston office.
Waterfront Media, North Adams, MA [COMM]: Are you interested in a nontraditional career in dietetics? Waterfront Media is a premier developer of online self help web sites, including the South Beach Diet®, Fit Forever with Denise Austin, the Sonoma Diet, Everyday Health, Diabetic Living Diet, the Duke Diet, the Winsor Diet, and Heart Healthy Living. The Registered Dietitian at Waterfront Media fills a unique niche and is the online voice of the nutrition professional, supporting various popular diet plans.
Dietetic Interns at Waterfront Media will communicate with a fast growing worldwide online audience. Working in our Customer Service Center you will be supported by a talented team of experienced Registered Dietitians, and will assist our members with various diet programs.
Examples of assignments include collaborating with editorial staff to develop new content; developing and presenting training sessions for customer service staff; analyzing online menus/recipes; presenting relevant research findings to the dietitian team; and interacting with members one on one about various meal plans. You will also learn about other aspects of our online health and wellness web sites, such as evaluating potential products, new web site launches and how customer information is used to build stronger relationships with our members. www.waterfrontmedia.com
Holyoke Health Center, Holyoke, MA [COMM]: Holyoke Health Center (HHC) is a non-profit organization, and the only free-standing comprehensive primary health center serving the low-income and medically underserved populations of greater Holyoke and Chicopee. HHC is a federally funded health center and is JCAHO accredited. HHC has been providing services to low-income residents since 1970. Over 80% of our staff and patient population is Latino. The mission of the HHC is to improve the health of our patients by providing quality health care and supporting comprehensive community based programming to create a healthy community.The health center provides nutrition services as part of the Diabetes self-management program, including a breakfast club, snack club, diabetes education and exercise classes. We use the promotora model of lay educators who are supervised by a Registered Dietitian. The Healthy Weight for Women program is funded by an HRSA grant to help Latina women lose weight.This program provides nutrition education using exhibits, videos, exercise classes, breakfast and lunch clubs, videos, games, support groups, monthly nutrition intervention, and other interactive acitivies to engage and motivate low literacy Latina women. The meal clubs are lab experiences that help our clients become familiar with food portions and learn menu modifications of their own cultural diet. The ideal dietetic intern for HHC would be a native Spanish speaker, or someone fluent in Spanish. www.hhcinc.org
BayState Medical Center Bariatric Surgery Program, Springfield, MA [COMM]: Baystate Medical Center’s Center of Excellence Bariatric Surgery Program offers restrictive and restrictive/malabsorptive procedures for people who are morbidly obese that meet all the requirements of this highly developed program and of their individual insurance company. You will be exposed to individual nutrition/behavioral counseling in both the out-patient and inpatient settings, development of the nutrition care plan, and support groups. You will also interact with our specialized team members as they work together to prepare the patients for a safe and successful surgery process. As a dietetic intern you will have the option of viewing a surgery in the operating room. If you are hoping to work with obese individuals, this program will introduce you to the one viable treatment for morbid obesity that has been recommended by the NIH since 1991.
Your contribution to the program will include developing patient education materials and doing presentations at the patient support group meetintgs. You will work closeley with the program coordinator who is a Registered Dietitian. You may also be asked to assist in conducting literaure searches for current treatment recommendations. You will become familiar with the recommendations of the Coalition for the Prevention of Medical Errors, which are closely followed in this Center of Excellence. This learning will complement your appreciation of the work of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Check out the program's website for more information.
BayState Medical Center Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, Springfield, MA [COMM]: The community rotation at Baystate Health System will focus on Cardiac Rehabilitation and Wellness Services. Our role is to provide cardiac patients with the most up-to-date nutrition education for heart disease. Interns will be exposed to individual counseling, group nutrition lectures, weight loss classes, community presentations, our Lipid Management Program, Heart Failure Program, and many employee Wellness Programs. The Cardiac Rehabilitation Dietitians are a valued member of the team that includes Exercise Physiologists, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners and Physicians. Dietetic Interns will interact with all team members and gain an appreciation for various disciplines. If you are looking for a career in Community Nutrition or Wellness, our program will serve you well!
baystatehealth.com/eConsumer/bhs_chan_index.jsp?chId=172dd3c44e33df00VgnVCM1000000f0c19acRCRD
University of Massachusetts Dining Services/Sports Nutrition [COMM]: Students in this rotation will work with two dietitians on campus: Dining Services and UMass Athletics. UMass Dining Services has a nutrition program to assist over 12,000 board students with interactive nutrition programs in the dining commons related to monthly newsletters. The Dining Services Dietitian also provides individual counseling with students with special dietary needs that are required to be on the meal plan. In Dining Services, the intern will assist in planning, implementing and evaluating nutrition promotions to meal plan participants, research and compose newsletters and/or brochures. Students will also sit in on individual counseling sessions. Discounted meals in the dining commons are available during this rotation. Nutrition in Athletics is a piece of the athletic enhancement program at UMass, a multi-dimensional program offering services to varsity student athletes, coaches, and the athletic department staff. The Sports Nutritionist provides individual assessment and counseling for varsity athletes seeking to maximize their performance and maintain optimum health through nutrition. With UMass Athletics, the intern will spend 10 hours per week with the Sports Nutritionist to research and implement nutrition education bulletin boards, brochures and counsel UMass athletes on a team and individual levels. Lunch is available at reduced price. www.aux.umass.edu/diningservices
West Mass ElderCare, Inc., Holyoke, MA [COMM]: An Area Agency on Aging serving elders aged 60 and older, in the towns of Holyoke, Chicopee, South Hadley, Ware, Granby, Ludlow, and Belchertown. The Nutrition Program is a key to maintaining elders' health and independence, serving over 1000 meals daily at congregate mealsites and to homebound elders. Interns participate in nutrition education for clients and community groups, menu planning, monitoring quality and safety of food services, and working with other professionals in providing appropriate care for elders. Interns must be able to travel independently to mealsites throughout local service area and occasionally to meetings in central and eastern Massachusetts. Time schedule generally flexible; usually requires morning and early afternoon availability. www.wmeldercare.org
FOODPLAY Productions, Hatfield, MA [COMM]: FOODPLAY Productions is a national award-winning touring nutrition and health theater and video company that uses the power of live theater to turn kids on to healthy eating and exercise habits. Founded in 1982 by Emmy Award-winning Registered Dietitian, Barbara Storper, MS, RD, FOODPLAY Productions produces and presents national touring school theater assemblies, video kits, conference keynotes, curricula, media campaigns, and creative educational resources to promote nutrition to children. Interns have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of this innovative nutrition education organization including creating and assisting in the development of innovative educational materials, video kits, media campaigns, website development, grant research, marketing strategies, focus group work and delivering live presentations in schools and special events. We are looking for creative interns who have excellent written and oral communication skills and who have an interest in bringing effective and innovative contributions to the field of nutrition. www.foodplay.com
Food Bank of Western, MA, Hatfield, MA [COMM]:
Big Y Foods, Springfield, MA [COMM]: Have you ever wondered what a dietetics job in the food industry is like? Here’s your chance. Big Y Foods is a local, family owned supermarket chain with over 50 stores in Massachusetts and Connecticut. In 2005, they introduced their Living Well Eating Smart health and wellness program for customers. Headed by their nutrition spokesperson, Carrie Taylor, RD, Living Well Eating Smart educates consumers about nutrition and a healthy lifestyle through newsletters, circular ads, web pages, in-store messaging, local media, community workshops, and fairs.
Dietetic interns working with the Living Well Eating Smart program will see first hand the relationship between food manufacturers, food retailers, and the nutrition industry. This fast paced position introduces students to the promotion and marketing end of dietetics rarely seen in traditional community rotations and provides one-on-one work with a corporate dietitian.
Potential experience includes, but is not limited to, researching lifestyle behavior recommendations; assisting the writing of wellness newsletters and newspaper columns; answering customers e-mails; exploring the function of new products in a healthy lifestyle; developing content for ad circulars, radio, and television scripts; aiding the dietitian at media and community events; and formatting various types of publications. You will also learn about sales, marketing, promotions, and the role a dietitian can have in the business industry. To learn more about Big Y Foods and the Living Well Eating Smart program go to www.bigy.com .
Mohawk Trail Regional School District, Shelburne Falls, MA [COMM]: The Mohawk Trail Regional School District is located in Shelburne Falls, a quaint and scenic town located just west of Greenfield, Massachusetts. The district is comprised of 8 surrounding towns in Western Franklin County: Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Hawley, Heath, Plainfield, and Shelburne. Dietetic interns have the opportunity to educate students from the 7th to 12th grade in class settings, and work with nurses and foodservice staff. Interns observe the nutrition education students today are receiving and influence what they learn. Inevitably, interns directly study how the federal government implements school breakfast and school lunch programs to students as well as work to integrate and evaluate the district’s Wellness Policy. This rotation allows dietetic interns to express their creative ideas by designing bulletin boards, exhibits, and education materials to extend pertinent nutrition information to young individuals as well as to their parents.
The Nutrition Center at 94 West Avenue, Great Barrington, MA [COMM]: The mission of The Nutrition Center at 94 West Ave. is to foster collaborations between people and organizations involved in food related activities in the Southern Berkshire Region. We are a resource center and are here to address and support the needs of the community. Following are several of the programs which are taking place at the Nutrition Center: Community Health Program (CHP) Nutrition Services provides clinical nutrition counseling serving low-income families. South Berkshire Women Infants and Children’s (WIC) Program provides nutritional education and food for WIC participants. Through the A to Z (Apples to Zucchini) Program we give locally grown food to WIC families by providing subscriptions to local farms that offer CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares. There are three existing Diabetes-related Grants which focus on working with people individually and in groups to help them self-manage their diabetes. The CHP Nutrition Department has received a Planning Grant for Healthy Communities which seeks to create non-traditional partnerships between local health care providers, town offices, religious organizations and advocacy groups to identify and prioritize the community’s Health needs. Healthy Weight Classes are offered at the Berkshire South Community Center including nutrition and physical activity instruction. We are members of Massachusetts Healthy Weight Collaborative. www.nutrition94west.org
Springfield North WIC, Springfield, MA [COMM]: Springfield North WIC is a progressive WIC community that operates four sites in Springfield, West Springfield, and Baystate Medical Center. We serve over 6500 women, infants, and children. There is great diversity amongst our staff and participants including Russian, Somali, Spanish, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Jamaican and many other cultures. The nutrition education is very unique because of the rich diversity that exists within our community.
We deliver emotional-based education and materials using a new progressive model called “Touching Hearts Touching Minds” that uses emotions to facilitate behavior changes around nutrition and health. www.touchingheartstouchingminds.com . The diet assessment method, VENA (Value Enhanced Nutrition Education), is a great way of obtaining nutrition information that is participant focused and behavior change oriented.
As a UMass Dietetic Intern you will participate in the planning of our “Walk For Nutrition,” celebrating National Nutrition Month. We invite members of the community, healthcare providers, daycares and preschools, and our WIC participants to join us in promoting good health and nutrition. We walk down Main Street in Springfield, stop by City Hall for motivating speakers, and then on to Tower Square for interactive health displays and entertainment.
This is also an exciting time for WIC because the food packages are being updated to reflect current USDA dietary guidelines: more whole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables, less saturated fat and more culturally inclusive.
We are very excited about all of the changes occurring in the WIC program and invite you to be part of this exciting time of change and growth. We are a strong force in the Springfield and surrounding communities towards good health for our mothers and children. http://www.tapestryhealth.org/index.php?page=wic
Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District, Wilbraham, MA [MGT]: The Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District Food Service Program participates in the National School Lunch Program and serves a total 3788 pre-school through high school students. There are 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and one high school in the two-town regional school district. Within the district’s ambitious wellness program, nutrition plays an integral role toward a goal to provide healthy, enjoyable meals for students and staff. Interns have an opportunity to complete their Food Service Management rotation in this pleasant rural and suburban setting focusing on integrating nutrition and food service management principles. The rotation provides diverse training opportunities due to its variety of potential learning experiences. Lunch is provided. www.hwrsd.org
Longmeadow School District, Longmeadow, MA [MGT]: Longmeadow Massachusetts is a picturesque suburban community located on the border of Connecticut. The School Food Service Program employs approximately 35 individuals and serves a population of about 3300 K-12 students with one high school, two middle schools, and three elementary schools. There are three additional satellite sites in the town that the program provides with lunch. Interns have the chance to work with a food service director who has a nutrition background and strives to provide healthy meals that are also attractive to the students. This rotation involves applying food service management concepts as well as providing nutrition education for the students as part of the district’s wellness policy initiated with the goal of “facilitating learning through support and promotion” of healthy lifestyles. Lunch is provided at this site. www.longmeadow.k12.ma.us/
Chicopee Public Schools Food Service Program, Chicopee, MA [MGT]:http://schoollunch.chicopee.mec.edu/
UMass Memorial Marlborough Hospital, Marlborough, MA [MGT]:
www.umassmemorial.org/ummhc/hospitals/marlborough/
Williams College Dining Services, Williamstown, MA [MGT]:
www.williams.edu/admin/dining/
School Food Service Program, East Longmeadow [MGT]: The East Longmeadow School Food Service Program serves a total of 2500 pre-school through high school students in the system's high, middle, and 3 elementary schools with kindergartens. The East Longmeadow Schools are in a middle class community where most parents are aware that nutrition is an important part of their children's lives. The East Longmeadow cafeteria staff strives to provide nutritious and appealing lunches for all children. Nutrition education is most welcomed in the school system. Interns have an opportunity to complete their Food Service Management rotation, focusing on the varied ways that nutrition and management principles can be implemented in a school food service system. Lunch is provided. www.eastlongmeadow.org
Western Massachusetts Hospital, Westfield [MGT]: Western Massachusetts Hospital is part of the oldest State Department of Public Health in the nation, located in a scenic setting in Westfield. Founded as a tuberculosis sanatorium, the hospital has responded to the needs of the people by expanding and changing programs and services. Currently, the hospital provides specialty care for patients with chronic diseases requiring skilled nursing and medical services, terminal illness, neurological disorders, Alzheimer’s Disease and related disorders with complex behavioral problems, and ventilator management. The hospital currently contracts with Aramark Corporation to provide nutrition and food services. Interns will have the opportunity to complete a variety of projects, develop National Nutrition Month activities, and deliver a series of employee inservice education programs. www.mass.gov/dph/hosp/wmh.htm
University of Massachusetts Dining Services [MGT]: is an independent operation feeding over 12,000 students on the board plan that is required for resident freshmen and sophomores. The four large dining commons, a kosher kitchen, campus bake shop, central warehouse and retail operations employ over 300 FTEs and over 1,000 student employees. UMass Dining Services provides high quality, nutritious, attractively presented food and beverages in an educational environment. Interns will have the opportunity to learn or be involved in menu planning, special event planning, quantity food preparation, purchasing involving a prime vendor, menu management system (inventory, forecasting and budgeting), food allergy training and the meal plan exemptions/reductions process. Discounted meals in the dining commons are available during the rotation. UMass Dining Services received 10 national awards for “Outstanding College and University Menu for Residential Dining” as well as the “Most Creative Nutrition Promotion” by the National Association of College and University Food Services. Lunch is available at reduced price. www.aux.umass.edu/diningservices
