Problem:

The Partnership's purpose is to create a western regional resource in MCH nutrition to respond to the challenges of the health care environment, through training and mentoring public health nutritionists from diverse backgrounds in preservice (emphasis on doctoral training) and community settings.

Goals and Objectives:

Goal 1: To prepare graduates and professionals from other MCH disciplines, for leadership roles in nutrition education, service, research, policy and advocacy for mothers, families, children and youth. Objective 1: To support the training of at least 2 public health nutritionists toward the MPH, DrPH or PhD per year and to mentor 1 student per year from the combined UCLA-WLA Veteran's Hospital Dietetic Internship/MPH program in MCH nutrition. Objective 2: To provide nutrition training to an additional 100 PH nutrition graduate students and to provide MCH nutrition content to a minimum of 350 students in public health and others from professional schools without nutrition background. Objective 3: To collaborate among the Partners to develop joint distance-learning strategies and to submit at least 2 professional articles. Goal 2: To serve as a western regional and national MCH nutrition resource for Title V and related programs, and to provide continuing education to meet the needs of the MCH nutrition community. Objective 1: To inform the content of the program by participating in AGPPHN and ASTPHND meetings, attending the annual Nutrition Grantee meeting and conducting periodic needs assessments. Objective 2: To support an annual meeting of the 13-state Western MCH Nutrition Leadership Network in order to facilitate sharing of resources and leveraging of strengths among State nutrition leaders and MCH nutrition training programs. Objective 3: To expand the existing network of consultative and collaborative relationships between Partner faculty and Title V and other MCH and relevant programs to serve as a local, regional and national resource.

Methodology:

The UCLA Partnership for Excellence in MCH Nutrition at UCLA is a collaboration between UCLA’s SPH and the USC LEND and MPH Programs, University of Washington’s Center for PH Nutrition and LEND program, and the Nutrition Program at Colorado State University. At least two graduate students per year are supported with preference to those in doctoral programs. Recruitment is targeted to public health agencies and programs that employ potential applicants, particularly those who represent cultural diversity. Admission criteria include the academic preparation to enter UCLA, UW or CSU plus an RD and professional experience, preferably with an MCH focus. The partnership is expanding the nutrition curriculum of each program by building on unique strengths to develop joint courses, distance learning modules and collaborative research activities. Development of continuing education activities is guided by HP 2010 0bjectives and the Western MCH Nutrition Leadership Network; they focus on the integration of MCH nutrition services, using public health nutrition skills (including measuring outcomes and cost-effectiveness, and computer literacy) into health programs in a changing health care environment. The challenges of providing and/or assuring services in managed care systems as well as public health settings, requires expertise in interdisciplinary, interagency and public-private networking. The Partnership addresses these issues, in collaboration with state and local agencies.

Coordination:

The Partnership has a Steering Committee which includes all 4 institutions that meets monthly by telephone for planning and coordination purposes. Coordination with the other MCH Nutrition grantees, in a nationwide effort to leverage resources, continues to occur via periodic conference calls and at an annual meeting. Field placements and continuing education activities provide ongoing linkages with Title V and other MCH programs throughout the western states and nationwide.

Evaluation:

The number of graduates who assume positions of leadership in maternal and child nutrition will be a major evaluative outcome. A large number of process measures will also be tracked, including the numbers of dietitians enrolled in public health training and the proportion of those who elect careers in community-based settings. The impact of the training program on national health and training performance measures are being reported annually.

Experience to Date:

In the last 13 years the UCLA program has recruited and supported 26 long-term trainee RDs, of whom 20 have graduated, and 11 (55%) who are currently in leadership positions. Three trainees were African-American, 4 were Asian, 1 was Middle-Eastern, and the rest (69%) were Caucasian. Six graduates earned doctoral degrees (PhD or DrPH), and 3 doctoral students are still in training. Six new courses were developed in the area of Public Health Nutrition: Programs and Policies; Hunger and Food Insecurity; Nutrition and Chronic Disease; Obesity, Nutrition and Physical Activity; and Refugee Health. Since 2003, faculty have provided a total of 50 significant continuing education activities (seminars, workshops, conferences, teleconferences) and reached 4,808 interdisciplinary participants. In addition, Public Health Nutrition Colloquia have been held monthly each academic year at UCLA.