Interns in the Field
Amelia Sullivan
Clinical 1
While in her clinical 1 rotation at Franklin Memorial Hospital, AmeIia Sullivan created weekly taste tests and educational resources for the hospital staff to encourage nutrient diversity in their diets during National Nutrition Month. Staff were provided with a variety of samplings, including carrot cake energy balls, black bean brownies, creamy turmeric dip, and mint matcha chip smoothies. Amelia completed this project under the guidance of preceptor and clinical dietitian, Marcy Lawless, MS, RD, LD.
Community
Amelia’s community rotation included a tour of Brigeen Farm in Turner, ME, where she sampled freshly made vanilla ice cream produced with milk from the farm’s cows. Amelia accomplished this learning experience and many other projects under the direction of preceptors Katie Hoffman, MS, RD (Maine Dairy and Nutrition Council), Adriane Ackroyd, MPH, RD and Stephanie Stambach, MS, RD, SNS (DOE, Child Nutrition Services).
Ashley Reynolds
Food Service Management
As part of her food service management rotation at Eastern Maine Medical Center, Ashley Reynolds created a heart healthy and culturally ethnic dish, Thai Peanut Noodles with Veggies and Chicken for the cafeteria. After developing the recipe and analyzing it for its nutrient content, she helped prepare it in the kitchen and then served it in the cafeteria alongside her preceptor, Amber Gard, MS, RD, LD, Director of Nutrition Services. The new menu item was such a success that it sold out and will become a permanent addition to the cafeteria recipes and will be served regularly.
Sarah Griffiths
Food Service Management
At MaineGeneral Medical Center, while in her food management rotation, Sarah Griffiths was tasked with creating a vegetarian recipe to be sold in the hospital cafeteria for mass production. She chose to develop and produce Tofu Veggie Chili with a focus on nutrient density, local product procurement, product practicality, and customer acceptance. She analyzed the recipe for its nutrient content, prepared a sample, and implemented a sensory evaluation of the dish. Sarah says she enjoyed every aspect of the project.
One of Sarah’s other food management projects included the development of a nutrition education poster that focused specifically on the estimation of portion sizes. Her poster consisted of simple and quick ways to estimate portion sizes by using different sections of the hand to illustrate amounts, such as 1 cup being equivalent to the size of one’s fist. Sarah’s poster was displayed in the cafeteria at MaineGeneral. She completed both of the above projects under the supervision of preceptor and Food Service Director, Shelley Goraj, MS, RD, LD.
Community
As part of a community outreach project during her WIC rotation at MaineGeneral, Sarah attended the Strawberry Festival in Wayne, ME. She, alongside her preceptors Brookes Smith, director, and Jessica Whitsell, nutrition coordinator, took part in this event to engage and educate the public about WIC, the eligibility for the program, available services, as well as the many benefits. WIC also provided an infant hydration station, which gave moms a little more privacy to breastfeed while at the festival. They also provided strawberry infused water with recipes in water bottles to promote adequate hydration in fun ways, various handouts about the program, and blueberry and apple stress balls.
Lauren Roberts
Food Service Management
During Lauren Robert’s food management rotation at St. Joseph Hospital, she worked closely with preceptor and Food Service Director, Peter Merritt, on various projects, including developing training materials for future employees, interviewing and hiring new employees, and developing a recipe to serve in the hospital cafeteria. Her recipe project was Turkey Chipotle Panini with southwest fries that she spent time developing and sensory testing with the hospital chef.