What RDs Do: Nadine Fahdi Khoury MHSc RD

NADINE FAHDI KHOURY

PRIVATE OUTPATIENT CARE

CLINIC MANAGER, NUTRITION SERVICES

for something nutrishus

Nadine makes mention of the need for strong branding for Canadian dietitians, and I'm happy to be a part of the leadership team working on that with Dietitians of Canada! Through her role, Nadine helps to advocate for dietitians, which is always great to see in the profession. She also brings up the importance of our relationship with food, which I love.

Why did you become a RD? 

I chose the dietetics field because of my passion for health and cooking. I had a strong science background and always enjoyed helping others. I never knew how stimulating and perfect the role was for my personality and skills until I grew into the profession.

What area of dietetics do you work in? 

I work in a private outpatient health and wellness company and my areas of dietetic practice include managing a team of RDs, advocating for the profession through support for RD services, ongoing training and education, development of nutrition products and services and client counseling and coaching.

How would you explain what you do? 

I am now clinic manager, nutrition services in a private health and wellness company. I also provide one on one outpatient nutrition counseling and coaching to individuals and families within a multitude of health concerns namely metabolic syndrome, digestive conditions, child and youth nutrition and sports nutrition.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

I ensure RD coverage is available and suitable for clinic needs by updating schedules and communicating with RDs and clinic teams, I communicate resources that may be helpful for the RD team and clinic multidisciplinary team, I attend leadership meetings to develop strategic positioning for nutrition products, I counsel clients and families on an ongoing basis to help them reach their health goals using evidence and practice based guidelines and recommendations, I ensure team performance metrics and indicators are in line with RD capacity and business objectives.

What has been your career path? 

I started my career as a dietitian in a juvenile diabetes summer camp and then went into private practice, long term and chronic care. From there, I provided coverage in various hospital units namely renal, burns, medicine, mental health and acute care. Following completion of my Master’s, I chose to switch back to private outpatient care where I now manage a team of 12 RDs within a multidisciplinary wellness company.

What advanced education or special training do you have? 

I completed a Master’s in Nutrition Communications at Ryerson University following 10 years of practice in dietetics. This program helped shape my interest in advocating for the profession, develop partnerships with a multitude of profession related stakeholders and fine tune communication skills targeting different audiences using different media. Through experience in my role as clinic manager nutrition services at Medcan clinic, I learned how to choose the right staff, advocate for RD services and develop thriving nutrition programs. I have certificates in behaviour modification and digestive health strategies and am working on an integrative and functional nutrition certificate.

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now?

The industry will have some struggles to position itself as the leader in nutrition knowledge provision for the next few years due to a multitude of overlap between other professions. I think RDs need to distinguish themselves not only as evidence-based practitioners but also as credible and flexible health and nutrition providers which will have to include lifestyle and fitness coaching, recipe development, meal planning and cooking skills. I foresee the creation of a governing body that will facilitate specializations within chosen fields of practice beyond hospital specialties. I also think that in 5 years RD services will be covered by provincial health insurance plans or at least by most private health insurance plans (wishful thinking…)

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

Many confuse RDs with nutritionists and many think RDs only work with people for weight loss or only use Canada’s food guide or support the dairy farmers because of the financial support they provide etc. We need a strong marketing and branding campaign to clear many confusions related to misconceived perceptions.

What would you like people to know about RDs? 

Just like any profession, there are different types of RDs. I think it's important for clients to do their due diligence when looking for an RD to support their health goals. I would like people to avoid generalizing when judging RDs services. Some fits will be better than others.

What is your favourite meal? 

My favourite meal is one that I’ve had time to create myself with local, fresh ingredients while listening to jazz music and sipping a glass of Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand.

What tip(s) would you give to our readers? 

A relationship with food is a lifelong journey without the option of separation or divorce. Reach out to a professional that you connect with to help you develop a pleasure for nourishing your body and soul with healthy fare.

More about Nadine:

Email: nadnutrition@gmail.com

LinkedIn: Nadine Khoury MHSc RD | LinkedIn
Twitter: @Nadastic

Thanks Nadine! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Maree Ferguson AdvAPD, RD, FAND, MBA, PhD

MAREE FERGUSON

DIETITIAN CONNECTION

for something nutrishus

Now that we've had one Aussie, it's time for another! As you can see, she has earned many different credentials in her career. Not only have we seen dietitians aiming to inspire the public, but if you've been following the series, you've seen dietitians like Maree that are aiming to inspire and support other dietitians. She has a very unique and important passion and is doing great work for our profession. Before I knew of Maree, I was aware of the #dietitiansunite campaign as I'm working with our Dietitians of Canada brand leadership team on similar initiatives. We need more people like Maree, plus she also added a new title to the list of books I want to read!

Why did you become a RD? 

I’ve been a dietitian for 21 years now. I had an amazing home economics teacher at high school who taught me about nutrition – both the science and the practical food aspects. This is what led me to pursue a career in dietetics.

What has been your career path? 

I have worked in a few areas over my career. After completing my PhD developing the malnutrition screening tool (now used around the world), I worked in Research & Development and then Marketing (after obtaining my MBA) for a nutrition company in the United States for 8 years. I then moved back to Brisbane, Australia, to take up a management position in a large hospital as Director of Nutrition and Dietetics with more than 30 dietetic staff. I now work in a rather unique role as the founder and director of my own business Dietitian Connection. 

What advanced education or special training do you have? 

I have a MBA and PhD

What area of dietetics do you work in?

Self-employed, nutrition communications/consulting; industry 

How would you explain what you do? 

Dietitian Connection is an online business, which provides professional development resources, webinars, podcasts, the latest news and research, and events for dietitians who reside in Australia and even those across the globe. We are a small team who aim to inspire and empower dietitians to realize their dreams. And have more than 5,000 members worldwide.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

Each day and week is completely different for me, which is why I love my job. Some tasks include hosting events, webinars and podcasts, meeting with my team, responding to email, chatting with corporate clients, planning future activities, and delivering workshop presentations.

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now? 

It would be great to see dietitians expanding into novel job opportunities such as personalized medicine, and innovative online businesses.

What are you passionate about in dietetics? 

Through my work, I connect with thousands of dietitians and what I was hearing was that many dietitians in Australia didn’t have a job. Many were under-employed or underpaid. And others simply can’t make a living. I became aware of this earlier this year. To say I was shocked to the core is an understatement. 

We know what a dietitian is, and does. But I am concerned that the public has little idea what that title means – and the value we can deliver. Frustratingly, the public is also getting nutrition advice from non-qualified experts. I could no longer sit on the sidelines and do nothing and hence started the #dietitiansunite campaign. 

The crowdfunding campaign was designed for dietitians to contribute funds, which will be used to execute a national awareness campaign to educate consumers on what a dietitian does, and the benefits we deliver.

What is your favourite meal? 

Being a typical Aussie (Australian), a roast lamb dinner.

What tip(s) would you give to our readers? 

The most favorite piece of advice I have received recently was to watch one of Dr Brené Brown’s videos: Why Your Critics Aren’t The Ones Who Count I have since read some of her books including Daring Greatly where she shares her research on vulnerability. I highly recommend checking out Dr Brown’s work. We need to have the courage to step into the arena and manage our inner critic.

More about Maree:

Website: Dietitian Connection

Facebook: Dietitian Connection

Twitter: @DNconnection

Instagram: @dietitianconnection

Thanks Maree! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Debbi Beauvais, RDN SNS

DEBORAH (DEBBI) BEAUVAIS, RDN SNS
SCHOOL NUTRITION DIRECTOR
for something nutrishus

Debbi has been working in school nutrition for 15 plus years. She had a lot to say and I'm happy to share her responses. She is correct that you need to actually ask a dietitian what they do, because we're doing lots of different things, things we can't even imagine until we're actually out working in the field. As a Canadian working in a very different area of dietetics, this was very informative to me. I work in schools, but I do so in a teaching/facilitating role, not in management. Debbi is also a strong advocate for our profession and gives-back/volunteers as such.

Why did you become a RD? 

I actually went to school thinking I was going to be the next Barbara Walters-Communication Major. Never even knew about the field of Dietetics. Several women on my dorm floor were in Nutrition and Dietetics…..went and checked it out and the rest is history. Actually, my mom always worked when I was growing up thus I did a lot of the cooking for the family so had an interest in food. Mom’s rule for dinner: two vegetables, a meat, and a starch. Not a bad plan! :0)

Funny story though; I only took Earth Science and Biology in high school as I had a Music Major and 4 years of Math. Had to take a summer Chemistry course to get on track to change majors.

What area of dietetics do you work in? 

As a Dietetic Intern at St. Louis University, the Food Service Director interviewed me for a position and asked me what I wanted to be doing in 5 years…..I said a Chief Clinical Dietitian. He said he had seen me in the kitchen and that I had a knack for people and management. In turn, he was instrumental in changing my career path to the Management side of Dietetics. I spent 15 years; 6 different positions, with a Contract Management Company in Healthcare Food Service Management. In 1991 I married and in 1993 had my first child. That put me on “mommy duty” for a few years; 2nd child came in 1995. I was doing a variety of part time things just to stay busy: Teaching Nutrition at a local community college, working at a supermarket cooking school, nutrition consulting at a health club, and also had a business called “Let’s Talk Food & Nutrition” which had me doing corporate cooking demos and wellness talks. Four different briefcases for all my different roles.

In the year 2000, I interviewed and was hired for a position as School Lunch Director at Gates Chili Schools in Rochester, NY. 5500 students across 7 buildings, serving lunch at all buildings and breakfast at just two.

How would you explain what you do? 

Working in a school setting I am always asked when I go and teach nutrition in the classroom; this is not my role at all. I am in charge of a School Nutrition Program that is a self-supporting program in the district. Thus school tax payer dollars do not fund my program. I am the largest “restaurant” you might say, in Gates, NY. Our funding comes from USDA in addition, to what we collect from customer sales. We must follow all the federal/state/county regulations for the operations of our programs: National School Breakfast and Lunch and also the Summer Food Service Program. We serve on average 900 breakfasts and 2400 lunches per day across all school buildings. In addition to these numbers, another 15,600 lunches, 12,000 breakfasts and 3,100 snacks over a 6 week period are served in our summer meals program. I also have customer contracts for meals with a day care center, small private school, and a BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) Alternative High School. For Gates Chili, the operating budget for the Meals program is just over $2,100,000.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

Obviously in Management, I believe, if you take care of your people, they will take care of your business. So a great deal of my time is spent on training and professional development with the team. Menu planning/nutritional analysis is a must to meet the strict federal regulations for all foods sold in schools (not just the breakfast and lunch meals). My greatest efforts are put in to the Food and Supply bids to get our goods and services at the best price. A tremendous amount of paperwork also uses my time to make sure I get all of the government reimbursements and food commodities we are entitled to. Since the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 was established, the paperwork has tripled thus my job framework is not as fluid in our schools as it had been previously. If there is one thing I will say about this profession ….you really have no idea how it operates and all the challenges it presents until you actually work in it.

What has been your career path? 

In my School Meals role with Gates Chili Schools, I have expanded my scope of responsibility in the last 8 years. In 2008, I became the shared School Nutrition Director with a small 1100 student public school- East Rochester UFSD and in 2013 another was added; East Irondequoit which has 3000 students over 6 buildings. Both of these added districts serve breakfast, lunch, and have summer meals programs. My current scope is just over 8200 students across 15 locations serving meals 12 months a year. We strive daily to have something on the menu that every child wants to eat. We also evolve our programs to have the nutritional information available for parents of today who want to know more about what their kids are eating.

In addition, I give back to the profession of Dietetics. I am an internship preceptor for several internship programs in NY and distance learning too. It is incredibly important that up and coming RDNs have an understanding of this specific Food Service Management business segment. I promise you they come away with a much different picture of School Meal Operations and the challenges, etc. after spending time with us. I am proud to say that I recently was able to create a School Nutrition Coordinator position in my program and hired a young lady that worked with me as a volunteer, student, and dietetic intern. That is everything coming full circle!

On the volunteer side of the profession – I have been very active with the Local, State and National School Nutrition Associations (SNA). I was NY School Nutrition State President in 2012-2013 and from there, I jumped to the national organization as a member of the Education Committee. I was then elected to the position of Northeast Regional Director and Regional Director Chair in 2015-2016. I was recently elected and will take office in July at our SNA Annual National Conference as Secretary/Treasurer. I am so honored, humbled, and excited to take on this new leadership role. In the mix of these volunteer commitments, I was also appointed as an Academy Spokesperson (served 4 years) in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Media Spokesperson Program.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

In addition to my RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist), I also hold the credential SNS (School Nutrition Professional). The SNS credential is achieved by taking a National accredited exam and the content is specific to School Nutrition Regulations, Management, and Procurement.

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now? 

With the onset of technology and anybody being able to “Google” answers for their nutrition questions be it wellness or for a specific disease state, I have a real concern for our profession. It is more important than ever that RDNs in every segment have to continue to advocate for the profession and share in very clear terms, why those of us in our profession are the true nutrition experts. What sets us apart is that our information is research and science based. RDNs have to have a voice to “debunk” those that call themselves nutritionists and food & nutrition experts and offer the latest and greatest diet trend to get the pounds off.

What would you like people to know about RDs? 

RDNs come from diverse educational backgrounds with a minimum educational requirement of a Bachelor of Science Degree meeting a very specific curriculum to obtain a Dietetic Internship which in turn prepares them to sit for the national accreditation RDN exam. RDNs hold a variety of talents based on each person’s individual career goals and post graduate education. I happen to be an expert in Food Management, Sanitation and Food Safety in both Healthcare and K-12 Schools. When chatting with someone that is a Registered Dietitian; ask them more about what they do in the profession and what their expertise is as it may very well surprise you.

What are challenges you encounter as a RD? 

In the world of School Meals – “Everyone is an expert,” at what I get paid to do for a living, because everyone eats. Food is a relatable and opinion-based topic for any conversation. Many do not realize that those running the School Meals Programs in their community are educated professionals such as RDNs…….not just “Lunch Ladies.” We have to “toot our horns” a bit loudly about our programs and what we are doing….as 9 times out of 10 it is a perception that people have about the program that is NOT THE REALITY. School Meals are nothing like what I saw as a child when I was in grade school in the 60s and 70s. Yes, I can stand behind why we serve chocolate milk in schools with science. I can defend the regulations encouraging more whole grains, increased fruit and vegetable consumption along with reduced fat, saturated fat, sodium, and calories. I also can stand by the meals we serve as being great nutrition options for growing children as school food is manufactured to meet very stringent regulations……..all pizza and chicken nuggets are not created equal. Have questions about your school meals program where your children go to school – ask them, find out the ABC’s of school meals. I am sure you will learn a lot that might surprise you.

What is your favorite meal? 

I am a comfort food gal all the way – home baked decadent Macaroni & Cheese. I always have water or low-fat/FF milk with my meals – I was raised/and raised my family that Soda or Pop is a party food. See, mom was not an RDN but, had some good common sense nutrition philosophies!

What tip(s) would you give to our readers? 

Have questions about your school meals program where your children go to school – ask them, find out the ABC’s of school meals. I am sure you will learn a lot that might surprise you…...you may even find an RDN at the helm!

More about Debbi:

Twitter: @rockinlunch

Facebook: Deborah Beauvais

Facebook Page: “Lunch Lady” Chronicles

LinkedIn: Debbi Beauvais RDN SNS

Thanks Debbi! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!