1. University Medical Center Nutrition Services
Student Author: Cynthia Turner
Faculty Sponsor: Jen Nickelson PhD, RD
Department of Health Science
College of Human Environmental Sciences
The University of Alabama
Results
Methods Health Education
Areas of
Responsibility
Background
Purpose
• Located in Tuscaloosa, AL
• The University Medical Center is run
by the University of Alabama College
of Community Health Sciences.
• The Nutrition Services department is
responsible for nutritional therapy
and education for their patients.
• Diabetes is a growing epidemic in
America right now. Alabama is ranked
as having the 3rd highest prevalence
rate of diabetes in America.
• The Nutrition Services department
is located within the Family
Medicine Red Suite inside the
University Medical Center.
• They offer Nutritional Therapy for
all of their patients which varies in
age.
• They also offer Self-Management
Diabetes Education classes on
nutrition and Nutrition Therapy for
their gestational diabetes patients.
• Follow-up appointments for all of
their patients is available.
• I attended the two-week Diabetes Self-Management Education classes to get a better
sense of the target population.
• They work directly with patients to determine what is the best course of action.
• Created recipe handouts for the Employee Health Fair.
• Created Blue-Apron like recipes with all of the ingredients and prices included that
patients could purchase at the local Piggly Wiggly in the Alberta area.
• Called patients prior to their appointments to find out if they had any questions or
concerns about their appointment to determine if this would make a difference in the
show-up rate of the patients.
• Created education materials for patients who had children who were overweight or
obese.
• Rate of patients showing up to their appointments improved after calling them prior to
their appointments.
• The diabetes patients nutrition habits improved after taking the two week Self-
Management Education class.
• The diabetes patients overall health improved after applying what they had learned in
the Self-Management Education class.
Area I: Assess Needs, Resources,
and Capacity for Health Education
• 1. 1: Defined the target population to
be assessed. Patients were called prior
to their appointments.
• 1.2: Accessed existing information in
order to better understand situation
of patients before calling them.
Area II Plan Health
Education/Promotion
• 2.1: Determined the priority
population as patients who have
children who are obese or overweight
with a population in the Alberta area.
• 2.4: Determined how the Blue-Apron
like program handouts will be given
out to the patients.
Area VII Communicate, Promote,
and Advocate for Health, Health
Education/Promotion, and the
Profession
• 7.1: Created healthy pumpkin recipe
handouts to give out at the Employee
Health Fair.
• 7.1: Created educational flyer for
patients with children who are
considered picky eaters.
• 7.1: Created educational booklets for
patients with children who are
overweight or obese. Topics included
nutrition, physical activity, and screen
time.