September 2010 - Constituent Society and Partnership Corner

Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health (OSNPPH)

The Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health (OSNPPH) would like to share some of the highlights of our past fiscal year. This was an unusual year for many of our members. The H1N1 flu campaign last Fall saw many of us being deployed to roles not usual for public health nutrition professionals. Members found themselves in a variety of new work situations from responding to irate callers on flu hot lines to correctly disposing of sharps containers while normal programming was limited or put on hold. Despite H1N1, OSNPPH had a busy and productive year.

OSNPPH helped to increase the capacity of public health nutrition professionals to practice effectively:

  • Continued to develop the website to include on-line membership renewal and payment;
  • Coordinated and presented a core lecture on public health nutrition practice for dietetic interns;
  • Advocacy Committee developed guidelines for initiating new advocacy activities;
  • Advocacy Committee developing tool which will outline the benefits of involvement in OSNPPH to our employers;
  • Family Health Nutrition Advocacy Committee began developing a common message document on food allergies to be used provincially by public health dietitians;
  • Provided feedback on the toddler version of NutriSTEP®.

OSNPPH members were and remain actively involved in the Society:

  • Membership continues to increase each year and reached a record high of 185;
  • Over 33% of members participated this year in workgroups and committees;
  • Advocacy Committee developed guidelines for initiating new advocacy activities;
  • Members submitted recommendations regarding the Ontario Public Health Standards Guidance Documents.

OSNPPH members influenced decision makers at all levels to ensure nutrition is incorporated into regulatory decisions:

  • Participated in the Health Canada Think Tank for the Proposed Policy on Discretionary Fortification of Foods with Vitamins and Minerals;
  • Participated on the Ministry of Education’s Healthy Schools Recognition Program Working Table and the Nutrition Standards Sub-committee of the Working Table (NSSC) to support P/PM 150 development;
  • Sent a letter to Minister of Health Leona Aglukkag regarding the implementation of the trans fat regulation;
  • Sent a letter to the Minister of Health urging Health Canada to protect Canadians from excessive intakes of vitamins and minerals above the Upper Tolerable Intake Level.

Stakeholders sought input from OSNPPH which we fulfilled:

  • The Pan-Canadian Task Force on Public Health Nutrition Practice required our ongoing participation;
  • Dietitians of Canada, Ophea, and the Centre for Science in the Public Interest sought our support for their advocacy efforts;
  • Health Canada invited us to the Think Tank on the Discretionary Fortification of Foods;
  • Ophea has requested us to review and provide recommendations on 43 lesson plans developed to support the new Ontario Health & Physical Education Curriculum Grades 1- 8, including integrating the nutrition content from the newly updated Discover Healthy Eating! Resource;
  • Ophea requested that we provide a ‘nutrition in the classroom’ workshop to support the Ophea Health and Physical Education writers responsible for Ophea lesson plan development.

OSNPPH Peer Recognition Award 2010

Each year OSNPPH recognizes a member for their lifetime achievement or a single activity. This year, OSNPPH presented the Peer Recognition Award to Cindy Scythes for her accomplishments in the role as mentor for future public health nutrition professionals.

A mentor should feel like an advisor, interested and trusted. Cindy has the unique ability to communicate with students and workers at a peer level. She is someone who is interested in the personal stories. This open communication creates an atmosphere of understanding, warmth, and trust.

A mentor is wise and seems like an experienced friend. Cindy’s academic and work experience makes her one of the wisest in our profession. However, students and those who work for her consider her a friend as well as valuable mentor. A mentor leads by example and is a role model. Cindy has a strong work ethic and is accountable. She is an excellent role model for anyone working in public health nutrition.

Mentoring is an undervalued skill in our profession. Without people like Cindy, our profession would suffer the loss of a valued coach and guide who would nurture the skill set of graduates and new public health nutrition workers to excel in their everyday work.

In addition to her mentoring skills, Cindy has also had an impact on the nutritional status at the community, provincial, and federal levels. Cindy realized the importance of addressing health inequities in population health by collaborating with other community organizations to launch the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP) in her communities. Focusing programming on those most in need is now thought to have the greatest impact on overall population health.

Cindy is no stranger to the Ontario Public Health Association. Prior to joining the Nutrition Resource Centre as manager in the Fall of 2007 Cindy has had the following involvement in OPHA for which she received a Lifetime Member Award in 2007:

  • Chair, Governance Task Force, 2005 - 2008
  • Vice President 2000-2001; 2005
  • Chair, AGM and Annual Report Committee, 2005
  • Secretary/Treasurer, 2004
  • Member at Large, 2001-2004
    • Advocacy Committee 2001-2003
    • Public Relations and Advocacy Committee 2004, 2005
    • Liaison to Nutrition Resource Centre
    • Liaison to Food Security Workgroup
  • Liaison for OSNPPH 1997-2000

As manager of NRC, Cindy has been instrumental in guiding the resource centre into 2010. Cindy’s support and promotion of NRC’s provincial programs — Colour it Up…Go for More Vegetables and Fruit; Community Food Advisors; Eat Smart!®; NutriSTEP® — along with promotion and distribution of the award-winning resources for caregivers of children to improve nutrition and physical activity levels, is critical to assist health units in meeting the Ontario Public Health Standards and improving the health of Ontarians.

Cindy’s ability to work with a variety of people, her calm and supportive nature, and the drive for excellence is to be recognized. Congratulations Cindy!