2020 July Newsletter

TAND Leadership Opportunity

Are you interested in stepping up and getting more involved in your professional organization?  We are looking for someone to fill the position of Fundraising Chair on the TAND board.  This position will work with the Operations Pillar and seek sponsors for TAND-related events during the year.  Come join other dietetic leaders in your state to promote our organization and our profession!  If you feel you have the desire and skills to for this position, please contact ginger.carney@stjude.org.

Maternal, Infant, & Child Nutrition Course (Virtual)

Here is an opportunity to enhance your knowledge on maternal, infant, and child nutrition. Check out this virtual course to be offered July 30-31 and obtain 6 CPEUs. The cost is only $25. Anyone in the perinatal or pediatric field would benefit from this course which is coordinated by one of the leaders in the women’s health field. For more information, contact ginger.carney@stjude.org.  

Congratulations Scholarship Recipients!

Each year TAND selects two recipients to for its Advanced Practice Certification Scholarships.  These scholarships provide up to $1,000 toward reimbursement for education and/or examination fees for any CDR approved specialty certification.

For more information, please visit https://eatright-tn.org/scholarships-and-awards/.  This next year’s deadline will be May 2021.  

Congratulations to the 2019-2020 recipients!  

Hannah Hill from Memphis
I was very excited to have obtained my CNSC this past year as nutrition support is my first love in dietetics. I am excited to be able to use this knowledge to continue to mentor other RDs and interns that rotate through my facility.  

Jamie Flick from Nashville 
I will use my knowledge as a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician to accurately apply ASPEN guidelines to ensure my patients receive quality care to help improve their disease states and decrease their risk of mortality and morbidity.

Advocacy Update

Jill Talbert, TAND Lobbyist, has submitted this wrap-up report for the 2020 Tennessee Assembly:

The Tennessee General Assembly recessed on March 19, 2020 due to growing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. They returned on June 1, 2020 to finish the session. After a marathon session that ended on June 19th at 3:15 AM, both chambers adjourned in anger and at odds with each other over legislation that they could not resolve. Agreements could not be reached on the COVID-19 liability protection legislation, telehealth legislation and certificate of need legislation and those bills failed to pass as a result. 

The COVID-19 legislation, known as the Tennessee Safe Harbor and Recovery Act, would have held covered entities (healthcare provider is included in the definition but it is much broader than healthcare) not liable for damages, injury or death resulting from or in connection with a health emergency claim unless the plaintiff proves by clear and convincing that the entity caused the damages by acting with gross or willful misconduct. A health emergency claim is limited to coronavirus in the legislation. It also says if healthcare providers act in substantial compliance with any public health guidance that there is a rebuttable presumption those providers didn’t act in a manner that constitutes gross negligence or willful misconduct. The fight over COVID-19 liability legislation came down to the Senate wanting to make the legislation retroactive and the House ultimately deciding that such a move would make the legislation unconstitutional. Ever since the legislation failed, Governor Bill Lee has been contemplating calling special session to revisit this legislation. 

TAND has been actively monitoring and advocating to pass legislation that regulates raw milk in Tennessee. This legislation was introduced in 2019 and after hours of debate, it finally passed in 2020 after several amendments and compromise. This legislation was sponsored by Sen. Richard Briggs (R- Knoxville) and Rep. Patsy Hazlewood (R-Signal Mountain) and signed into law by Governor Lee on June 22, 2020. This legislation does the following: 

• Gives raw milk farmers the option of completing a safe milk handling course offered by the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Services.
• Lays out the procedures for farmers operating a herd share program.
• Includes a process for handling contaminated milk.
• Includes civil penalties for farmers failing to comply with this legislation.

This legislation goes into effect on October 1, 2020. Great job to everyone for working so hard on passing this legislation! When the public chapter becomes available in a few weeks, we will distribute it to TAND members.

Jill Talbert
Founder & Principal
615.509.8274
www.talbertgr.com

CAND Chattanooga Board members are excited about planning 2020-2021 activities….social distancing too!

Increasing Diversity and Inclusion in the Profession

Recently, the Academy requested input from members on the issue of how to improve diversity and inclusion in our profession.  A survey link was provided to submit ideas and suggestions which TAND utilized to give input into this request.  The suggestions submitted can be found HERE.  We hope that the suggestions provided are supported by our members and helpful to the Academy.

*This content is made possible by the generous support of Renfrew Center

Update from Renfrew

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, The Renfrew Center, dedicated to the treatment of adolescent girls and women with eating disorders, remains open. Our top priority is the health and well-being of our patients, their families and our staff.  Renfrew’s residential campuses in Philadelphia, PA and Coconut Creek, FL are closely following recommendations from the Center for Disease Control as well as the Department of Health and are continuing to accept new patients.

Our 17 non-residential facilities, including a location in Nashville, have temporarily shifted Day Treatment and Intensive Outpatient Programming to a virtual platform. This move to virtual services is fully accessible to patients throughout the country from the safety and comfort of their own homes. We have been providing outpatient virtual therapy in each of the states we have locations in for several years, and our staff has been trained and continues to receive education in telehealth best practices.

The Renfrew Center is also gearing up its Summer Programming for College Students struggling with an eating disorder. Through our Virtual Day Treatment and Intensive Outpatient levels of care, we have incorporated specific groups for college students to help move them through the obstacles to recovery they are now facing and better prepare them for handling the Fall semester – whether on campus or virtually.