Value Mapping for
Leadership Education in Pediatric Nutrition, University of Alabama at
Birmingham (UAB), Department of Pediatrics
Mission
To improve the health of infants, children and adolescents and their families through
1) Training the pediatric nutrition workforce by providing long-term training in pediatric
clinical and public health nutrition and 2) providing continuing education to nutritionists and
health care providers of various disciplines in the area of pediatric nutrition, health
promotion/disease prevention and behavioral counseling.
Core Values and Guiding Principles
Academic Programs
 MS program in clinical nutrition with pediatric nutrition focus
 MA program in health education or exercise physiology with adolescent nutrition
focus
 MPH in MCH or Health Behavior with pediatric nutrition focus
 PhD in Health Promotion, Disease Prevention (Combined program of UAB School of
Public Health, UAB School of Education and UA School of Education (Tuscaloosa))
Research Areas include: eating disorders, health disparities, school based
interventions (nutrition/physical activity/smoking prevention), behavioral counseling.
 UAB Dietetic Internship
 Intensive Course in Nutrition for Infants, Children and Adolescents- This is week-long
course with over 20 speakers covering all aspects of pediatric nutrition. Participants
are pediatric practitioners from throughout the United States.
Distance Learning
 Pediatric Update- a yearly satellite teleconference on hot topics in pediatric nutrition.
2004 will be the 12th annual teleconference. Average viewers- 250 sites with 5,0006,000 viewers.
 “Growing an Adolescent”- adolescent growth and development course that is used for
core curriculum in LEAH, LEND, School of Nursing as well as the Nutrition Training
Grant. This WEB-CT course is utilized by Public Health and CRS staff.
Relationships
Professional Societies
American Dietetic Association PNPG- Board of Directors
 Chair, Competitive Foods Task Force- Developed Association legislative position for
the Child Reauthorization Act
 Expert consultant for the MCHB Cooperative Agreement for Partners in Program
Planning for Adolescent Health (PIPPAH)- a coalition of 7 professional organizations
designed to improve health of adolescents.
American Academy of Pediatrics
 Co-chair, Middle Childhood Expert Panel, revising Bright Futures guidelines for health
care for infants children and adolescents
Society for Adolescent Medicine
 Scholarship and Grant Committee
MCH Funded Program Initiatives, UAB
 Interdisciplinary training in Title V programs: LEND, LEAH, PPC, SPH

MCH Collaborative Network established for all MCHB training programs to work
collaboratively in training and research. Currently, all programs are working
together to develop a regional initiative on youth in transition.
State Title V programs- each quarter all funded Title V programs throughout the
state meet to share information and work together for training and services. These
programs include: LEND, LEAH, PPC, SPH, LEPN, State Title V, CRS, Medicaid,
Historically black colleges, MCHB funded Ryan White, etc.
Clinical Programs
University of Alabama, Department of Pediatrics in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital
of Alabama have formed Children’s Hospital System
Clinical Services/Experiences include:
 In-patient and out-patient in one of 26 sub-specialty services (GI, pulmonary,
endocrine, sports medicine, hematology/oncology, eating disorders, allergy, renal,
HIV/AIDS, genetics/inborn errors of metabolism, juvenile justice, etc)
 Primary Care clinics (General Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine, Public Health)
 Community clinics in rural underserved areas (Black Belt of Alabama)
Value
 Only children’s hospital in Alabama- primary referral for all pediatrics
 Nationally known faculty in adolescent medicine, pediatric pulmonary, developmental
disabilities, and pediatric GI
 14 advanced level pediatric dietitians who provide training to variety of students in
clinical nutrition
 Seven one-year nutrition fellowships (stipends and tuition support) in adolescent
medicine, pediatric pulmonary, developmental disabilities (including inborn error of
metabolism, general pediatrics, hospital pediatrics, and General Clinical Research
Center (GCRC).
Relationships to Non-Traditional Communities
Collaboration with Historically Black Universities to address health disparities
 NIH funded Health Disparities Grant (joint UAB, Alabama State University)- nutrition
and physical activity intervention in rural schools
 HRSA Ryan White funding to improve services to HIV/AIDS pediatric patients in
Alabama through rural services and investigative research.
 Nutritional and Health Care of adjudicated youth
Public Health Networks
State Department of Health and State Children’s Rehabilitative Services (CRS)
 Coordinating the development and writing of the Alabama State Plan for nutrition
and physical activity- with special emphasis on addressing the rising rate of
childhood obesity.
 Core committee member of the State CRS Transition Team to address the needs of
special needs youth transiting into adult systems. Plans are underway to develop
training for health professionals in both the pediatric and adult systems.
 National Adolescent Health Initiative- Coordinating with Alabama Department of
Health (Title V agency), National AAP, State Health Department, UAB Division of
Adolescent Medicine and University of South Alabama Department of Pediatrics to
develop an adolescent health state plan addressing the 12 critical health objectives
for adolescents (nutrition and physical activity are 2 of the objectives).