top of page
INTERNSHIP ROTATIONS

Clinical Acute Care Hospital:
Ascension Seton Williamson County (ASWC) and Northwest (ASNW)
-
Divided time between 3 floors at ASWC (level 2 trauma): Med/Surg, Cardiac, ICU
-
Additional experience at ASNW in Med/Surg and ICU
-
Charted 4-5 patients per day using Cerner PowerChart Electronic Health Record (EHR) software
-
Performed nutrition screening and nutritional status assessments using the Electronic Medical Record (EMR), patient interviews, and nutrition-focused physical examination (NFPE)
-
Applied pharmaceutical and physiological knowledge to interpret clinical labs, medications, imaging reports, and diagnostic procedures for relevance to nutritional interventions
-
Formulated and implemented physician nutrition recommendations for diet orders and nutrition support
-
Engaged in interprofessional relationships to collaborate and coordinate with physicians, nurses, and pharmacy staff in improving the quality of patient care
-
Counseled s/p CABG patients on heart-healthy eating
-
1 patient, a retired primary care physician, requested information on calcium absorption and BMD. Put together relevant peer-reviewed literature materials linking calcium to BMD via vitamin K2. Advised on bioavailable sources of calcium and vitamin K2
-
1 patient, a retired physician pathologist, requested specific information regarding preventing calcium deposition in the arteries. Provided peer-reviewed literature regarding the mechanism of action of vitamin K2 along with bioavailable dietary sources
-
-
Counseled patients on diabetes-specific diet and meal planning
-
Attended ASWC Wound Care Boot Camp presented by WOCN and RD
-
Shadowed Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) for one day to learn the skills used to determine dysphagia and other swallowing disorders
-
Observed MBSS, DHT, and PEG tube placement
-
Wrote literature review titled Does Intermittent Fasting (IF) help prevent stroke and improve outcomes in post-stroke patients by improving insulin resistance?
-
Designed an educational infographic for IF highlighting the importance of time-restricted feeding for calorie reduction
-
Gave in-service education to foodservice operators on the lack of certified halal and kosher foods for the dysphagia population and encouraged food to be brought from home for texture modification in the foodservice kitchen
-
Quality Management Project - Hypothetical Experiment titled Electronically enhanced ordering of Texture-Modified Diets (TMDs) can lead to increased nutritional status, better clinical outcomes, and higher patient satisfaction in the acute care setting – A Randomized, Single-Blind, Pair-Matched Clinical Trial
-
Performance Improvement Project - Foodservice Performance via the Test Tray
-
Patient Care Reports including concept maps:

Clinical Specialty:
Ascension Seton Diabetes Education and Medical Nutrition Clinic
- Participated and led 1-on-1 counseling sessions for weight management, diabetes (type 1, type 1.5 LADA, prediabetes, type 2), IBD (Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis), Celiac disease and gluten sensitivities, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease (CVD) along with other co-morbidities
-
Utilized education tools: Plate Method, Carbohydrate Counting, Healthy Meal Planning, and Nutrition Label Interpretation
-
Observed RNs counsel patients on proper technique for finger sticks, glucose monitor use, pair testing, interpretation of fasting and pre and post-prandial blood glucose readings, review of medications, foot screenings, and eye exam follow-ups
-
Spent a day with specialist RD discussing Diabetes Mellitus technology including finger stick instrumentation, CGM, insulin pumps, and transposing interstitial glucose read-outs to diet history for interpretation
-
Produced infographic now in use as an educational handout on Ultra-Processed Foods

Clinical Specialty:
Dell Children's Culinary Medicine
-
Researched recipes and produced cost analysis for Pediatric Resident and Medical Student Culinary Training program. Parameters included preparation time of 45 minutes or less, budget conscious, and nutrient-dense
-
Completed Internal Review Board (IRB) Proposal - Secondary Use Submission documents for Quality Improvement (QI) study involving post-partum women who will be receiving either food boxes or prepared meals for 3 months with outcome measures of keeping wellness appointments and overall health and wellness of mother and infant
-
Completed Dual User Agreement (DUA) and Dual Share Agreement (DSA) documents for partners, Dell Children's Health Plan, and GA Foods, Inc. in the QI study mentioned above

Clinical Speciality:
Dr. Burgermaster Lab
-
Tasked with performing a Literature Review Matrix for possible dissertation thesis topic for graduate student involving client-clinician interaction in the community clinic outpatient setting with a focus on nutrition and diet transfer of information from clinician to client

Community:
Common Threads
-
Reviewed and revised 8 lesson plan series Recipes For Health (R4H)
1. Weight Management
2. Meal Planning
3. Read it before you eat it!
4. Mindful Eating
5. Fats and Heart Health
6. Blood Pressure
7. All About Carbs
8. Diabetes -
Wrote chronic disease as related to nutrition slides for Facilitator Training Module slide deck
-
Hypertension
-
Diabetes
-
Hyperlipidemia
-
-
Authored article on Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) for a high school pilot series called Kitchen Times. Co-authored additional articles including Diabetes, Culinary Medicine, Gut Health, and Inflammation

Administration:
Dr. Poulos: The Intersection of Food Banking and Healthcare -
Food Insecurity is Directly Related to Health Outcomes
-
Researched State-sponsored hunger relief programs
-
Texans Feeding Texans - Agricultural Surplus Grant Program
-
Collaborative for Fresh Produce - CFP
-
Hunters for the Hungry
-
-
Spearheaded initiation of contacts and interviewed key team members at the Houston Food Bank and Feeding Texas on food bank strategies for healthcare partnerships
-
Transcribed and summarized interviews for incorporation into ongoing research
-
Presented The Charitable Food System - Food Bank and Healthcare Partnerships

Community:
Central Texas Food Bank
-
Modified lentil recipe, Zesty Lentil Mediterranean Salad, for the Healthy Options Program for the Elderly (H.O.P.E.) with calorie, saturated fat, and salt restrictions. Used ESHA’s Food Processor® Nutrition Analysis software for nutritional analysis and food label generation
-
Wrote an article for the Partner Agency e-Newsletter Program titled Lentils, the Power of the Pulse!
-
Wrote article for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) titled Protein Consumption for Older Adults
-
Volunteered in the Community Kitchen making meals for the Summer Food Service Program which provides lunches and snacks to children of low-income families who lack a dependable source of meals during the summer
-
Participated in a mobile pantry distribution having clients fill out consent forms in English and Spanish
-
Helped design a promotional postcard magnet for inclusion in pantry boxes encouraging clients to call Food Bank Social Services for assistance with their applications for Texas HHS benefits
-
Observed Social Services consult with clients applying for Texas HHS benefits
-
Participated in cooking classes for kids aged 8-11 years old for the SNAP-Ed program
-
Participated in garden class presenting the nutritional background of the key ingredient tomatoes

Food Service:
Texas Athletic Nutrition Center (TANC)
-
Managed workflow and prepared ingredients for lunch and dinner service the juice and smoothie bar
-
Proposed a revitalization of the station including juicer method and workflow production changes to maximize product usage and minimize pulp waste
-
Reestablish composting produce waste
-
Participated in product ordering, receiving, storage and inventory
-
Practiced FIFO, food safety, and hygiene protocols
-
Created Braised Beef Cheek Taco recipe and advertised the new dish to the athletes. The dish was well received and will be featured on the new menu rotation

bottom of page