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.
Berkshire Medical Center (CL): http://www.berkshirehealthsystems.org/body_bmc.cfm?id=43
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
Baystate Medical Center-Adult Weight Management Program (COMM): This is a multidisciplinary program consisting of dietitians, behavioral health specialists, nurses, physicians, and exercise physiologists. We work individually and in group settings to address obesity issues and help with weight loss. Criteria for the program are a BMI over 40 without a co morbidity or a BMI over 35 with a co morbidity. You will be exposed to the exercise groups and learn how to help obese patients be more active. You will be exposed to the behavioral aspect of obesity and how to help patients make sustaining life changes. You will work with the dietitian both individually and in group settings to present nutrition information to patients and refine counseling skills using motivational interviewing. We work with a very diverse population, including a large Hispanic segment. There are opportunities for Spanish nutrition teaching and topics of interest for that community. The group education classes will offer you the opportunity to teach a class of interest as well as monthly special topics offered to community. Be part of our partnerships with other Baystate programs such as pediatric obesity, endocrinology, Bariatrics, cardiac rehab, pulmonary rehab, sleep center and Behavioral health. We also work with community partners such as WIC and the Western Mass Food Bank to help educate our patients about local resources. Contribution to the program include doing group presentations, making education materials as needed, and a research topic of interest to present to our team.
Baystate Medical Center- Pediatric Weight Management Program (COMM): http://www.baystatehealth.org/Baystate/Main+Nav/Clinical+Services/Departments/Pediatrics/Pediatric+Weight+Management+Program
Boston Children's Hospital (MGT): http://www.childrenshospital.org/
Brockton Hospital (CL): http://signature-healthcare.org/AboutUs/SignatureHealthcareBrocktonHospital.aspx
Amherst College Dining Services, Amherst, MA [MGT]: Amherst College, a member of the Five College consortium, is located near beautiful downtown Amherst. The college enrolls approximately 1,600 students and places great emphasis on promoting a sense of community. In keeping with this theme, Valentine Hall is the sole dining hall and is responsible for serving the entire student body, faculty, staff, and guests. Amherst College Dining Services is committed to understanding and meeting the needs of its students and is continually looking for ways to mix things up and break the monotony of institutional dining. Also, as evident through their support of local businesses, use of biodegradable disposable ware, and recent implementation of a composting program, Amherst College values improving sustainability.
Interns here will have the opportunity to work closely with experienced, dedicated, and caring preceptors and staff. Topics covered will broadly include menu planning, foodservice systems management, facilities management, human resource management, and quality assurance. Experiences may also include participating in healthy eating workshops, responding to student’s nutrition related inquiries, and learning about the meal plan exemption process. In addition to understanding the operation of the student dining hall, interns will also have the chance to broaden their skills through work with campus catering and faculty dining. During their time at Amherst College, interns will have the opportunity to work on projects independently as well as be included in numerous meetings, events, and other management related matters as they arise. Schedule is flexible and lunch is provided. https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/dining
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(CL) [MGT]: 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, 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.
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 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
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
Food Bank of Western, MA, Hatfield, MA [COMM]:
A food bank is an organization that gathers and then distributes food to local emergency food providers that serve people in need of food assistance. There are about 200 food banks in the United States, all part of a national network called Feeding America. www.feedingamerica.org
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts works behind the scenes of nearly every charitable organization that provides food to people in need in western Massachusetts. Our mission is to work with the community to reduce hunger and increase food security.
The Food Bank’s 400 member agency programs include soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, childcare centers, and elder programs throughout Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties. Each year we distribute more than 6 million pounds of food to these agencies to help feed people in need.
Current projects in the Nutrition Department include improving the quality of the food we distribute through implementation of a nutritional inventory rating system, offering nutrition education workshops focused on nutrition and smart shopping, and recipe demonstrations for agencies coming to the workshop. An intern will assist in many of these projects, as well as create nutrition education materials and assist in implementing new programs.
The Nutrition Center at 94 West Avenue, Great Barrington, MA [COMM]: The Mission of the Nutrition Center is to foster collaboration between individuals and organizations involved in food related activities in the Berkshire Region. We are a resource center designed to address and support the needs of the community. Our purpose is to facilitate enjoyment and curiosity about where food comes from, how it is prepared, the eating experience, and how these processes relate to health and well being. By creating a comfortable environment, we hope to foster participation in hands-on food related activities. Ultimately, our goal is to inspire a consciousness about the connection between food and health. http://www.thenutritioncenter.org/
Everyday Health, Inc., No. Adams, MA (COMM): Everyday Health, Inc. is an online publisher of more than 25 well-recognized and trusted health Websites and mobile applications. Everyday Health employs several full-time and contract dietitians in a one-of-a-kind community nutrition setting. As a team, the dietitians work to design product-specific and condition-based meal plans as well as develop a unique coaching relationship with their customers through e-mail. In this way, our dietitians work with customers to help them set and reach their personal health and wellness goals from the comfort of their own homes.
Dietetic interns at Everyday Health experience a non-traditional, community-focused, fast-paced business environment. Interns will work alongside registered dietitians and diet technicians at our office in North Adams, Massachusetts, located in the Berkshires, a culture-rich region made up of picturesque towns filled with outdoor recreation. Potential experiences include learning the nuances of several different weight-loss plans, counseling techniques used to customize therapeutic weight loss plans to meet our clients’ needs, and formal presentation skills. Interns are scheduled for three days a week and housing accommodations are available.
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
Milford Reginal Medical Center, Milford, MA (CL) http://www.mwrh.com/site/index.cfm
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
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/
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, Amherst [MGT]: is an independent award winning operation feeding over 16,000 students on the board plan that is required for all residents. The four large dining commons, a kosher kitchen, halal kitchen, campus bake shop, central warehouse and retail operations employ over 300 FTEs and over 1,200 student employees. UMass Dining provides high quality, nutritious, attractively presented food and beverages in an educational environment. Interns will have the opportunity to learn and 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. Free meals in the dining commons are available during this rotation. Since 2000, UMass Dining Services received over 20 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. www.umassdining.com
University of Massachusetts Dining Services/Sports Nutrition (COMM)Interns in this rotation will work with two dietitians on campus: UMass Dining and UMass Athletics. UMass Dining has a nutrition program to assist over 16,000 board students with interactive nutrition programs in the dining commons related to monthly newsletters. UMass Dining Dietitian also provides individual counseling with students with special dietary needs that are required to be on the meal plan. For UMass Dining, the intern will assist in planning, implementing and evaluating nutrition promotions to meal plan participants, research and compose newsletters and/or brochures. Interns will also sit in on individual counseling sessions. Free meals in the dining commons 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.
Center for Integrative Nutrition: Dept of Medicine, UMass Medical School, Worcester (COMM)
The mission of the Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine is to enhance the health of the public through teaching, research, policy, and service in health promotion, disease prevention, and adaptation to illness.
http://www.umassmed.edu/behavmed/index.aspx?linkidentifier=id&itemid=2032
