ADA Associate membership - HOD voting 5/24/2011

[Guest guest]

RD, DTR Colleagues,

Here is an email forwarded with permission from Dr Alana Cline, Colorado

delegate about the HOD motion for Associate Membership.

I have uploaded the HOD Associate Membership proposal PDF to the Yahoo

> RD USA listserv > files folder where you can view / download.

healthy regards,

Joanne Larsen MS RD LD

--- ADA Associate membership

Dear Alana Cline,

I am a new member of the Colorado Dietetic Association having recently

moved from Chicago and a past editor for the ADA as the developer of the

Nutrition Care Manual.

There is a post today on the Nutrition Entrepreneurs listserv that ADA's

HOD has a motion that will be voted on to establish an associate

membership category that will allow membership to ADA by dentists,

dental hygienists, pharmacists, sanitarians, speech-language

pathologists, physical or occupational therapists, chiropractors,

dietary managers who only have a 90 hour / 1 year education, etc. First

please confirm that this is correct or not and if correct provide me

with a link to the motion / discussion / information about associate

membership under consideration.

Next, I believe that people with a PhD in nutrition, but not a

registered dietitian should have been allowed membership in ADA if their

credentials are acceptable. However I am wondering why chiropractors,

dentists and others listed above who often don't have any education in

nutrition would be suitable associate members in ADA when many

chiropractors sell supplements based on their " testing " . It seems to me

that the " associate membership " value to marketing these professionals'

services would not be in the best interests of ADA's mission.

Further, would the nurses, physical therapists or certified sports

medicine practitioner allow dietitians with advanced specialty education

in those areas reciprocal membership in their associations? Have we

asked? I am trying to understand the intent of HOD and how this benefits

dietitians, state licensure and scope of practice.

What happened after last year's FNCE in Boston to " I am ADA " that

finally had the right message that dietitians are our association?

Thank you for any information you can shed on this motion.

--

healthy regards,

Joanne Larsen MS RD LD

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