Wellspan Health
Wellspan Health is a multi-specialty medical group in York, Pennsylvania, that includes more than 23,000 team members, 250+ patient care locations, and 9 hospitals. The Wellspan Health facilities serve as the primary location for the medical nutrition therapy, community outpatient counseling, and medical food and nutrition management rotations for the MS/DI. Supervised practice locations include hospitals as well as medical specialty sites. Interns will work with a number of registered dietitian nutritionists representing a variety of specialties.
Food insecurity rotation
Students will be introduced to nutrition services and resources for food insecure people through service at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Salvation Army, and Project Share. In addition to developing and/or implementing a nutrition program, students will gain hands-on experience in the community providing services to food insecure people at partnering agencies.
The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank serves 27 counties in the area, distributes food and other donated products to more than 800 partner agencies, and provides food assistance for seniors, fresh produce distribution, Kids Café and BackPack programs.
Project Share's mission is to reduce food insecurity in the greater Carlisle area by offering access to nutritious food, programs and a support network that promotes self-sufficiency, fosters dignity and instills hope.
Salvation Army food pantries provide a variety of healthy food and basic-need items for those seeking food assistance and to help them regain household food security.
Students may also have the opportunity for introductory supervised practice experience at a Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) location during a summer semester.
Local school districts
Dietetic interns can expect to learn about and participate in federal nutrition programs, school meal requirements and school food service management, as well as implement projects related to these topics. Local school districts serve breakfast and lunch to students in grades K-12 and provide free and reduced-price school meals for eligible students. In the past, students have worked onsite at school districts in the Cumberland Valley and Lancaster areas.
Long-term care facilities
The MS/DI program partners with multiple long-term care facilities for supervised practice rotations. Students can expect to observe and assist with patient nutrition care while learning about the daily responsibilities of a dietitian in a long-term care setting.