Proper nutrition can make a world of difference. Food Outreach, a nonprofit organization in the metro St. Louis region, provides nutritional support to individuals living with HIV/AIDS or cancer through dietetic counseling, educational resources and nutritious meal services.
For the past five years, Logan University’s Masters in Nutrition program has partnered with Food Outreach as part of the master’s program’s 30-week in-person supervised experiential learning (SEL) requirement. Under the guidance of registered dietitians like Rachel Kleinman, MS, RDN, LDN, CDCES, and Taylor Aarns, MS, RD, LD at Food Outreach, MS-AND students gain firsthand experience in patient care.
“The nutrition assessments the student interns perform allow them to develop their clinical judgment and their patient education skills,” Taylor explained. “They also volunteer in our food pantry, learning how our operations work and interacting with clients and volunteers.”
Logan’s MS-AND program is a comprehensive graduate program preparing students to become entry-level registered dietitian nutritionists (RDN). Carolyn Lovano, a trimester 6 MS-AND student, is currently completing her SEL requirement at Food Outreach.
“I’ve really enjoyed working with Food Outreach,” Carolyn said. “One thing I’ve been doing is client intakes, and it’s been so interesting to gain more intimate knowledge about each patient. It’s great to see what they are doing here and to be a part of it.”
At Food Outreach, new clients meet with a dietitian for a nutrition assessment and are then given tailored nutrition recommendations. Clients can meet with the dietitians as often as they would like to receive ongoing individualized care. Through the Medically Tailored Meal and Grocery program, the clients are provided with two meals a day, about 62 meals a month, supporting positive health outcomes and reducing food insecurity while managing their chronic illness.
“We follow up with clients regularly to make sure they’re doing well and adjust their plans as needed,” Taylor explained.
One of the most unique aspects of the partnership between Food Outreach and Logan’s MS-AND program is the opportunity students have to work with individuals living with HIV/AIDS and cancer.
“A lot of HIV education and focus happened in the 80s, the 90s, the early 2000s, and, for the most part, it’s been phased out of dietetic education because many dietitians won’t be in contact with it during their career,” Rachel said. “My goal is to make sure people leave here with a familiarity of the disease, an understanding of what our clients go through and an understanding of the role nutrition plays in it.”
Since partnering with Logan’s MS-AND program, Food Outreach has welcomed more than 20 student interns. Both Rachel and Taylor have seen the positive impact this collaboration has had on the students.
“Working with the MS-AND students has been a really positive experience,” Rachel said. “We’ve noticed the students getting stronger each year, and it’s been rewarding to see both the program and the interns grow.”
Learn more about Food Outreach and ways to get involved here.