James H. Quillen VA Medical Center

Johnson City Program Introduction Program Mission and Goals Financial Information Application Guidelines FAQs Program Rotations MS degree Life in Johnson City James H. Quillen VA Medical Center About James H. Quillen VA Medical Center

Program Introduction

Thank you for your interest in the James H Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center (JHQVAMC) Dietetic Internship (DI) at the Mountain Home VA Health System in Johnson City, TN.  The internship provides experiences in clinical settings, food service management, and community dietetics while stressing medical nutrition therapy for health promotion, as well as disease prevention and management. 

A strong focus is placed on providing medical nutrition therapy in the outpatient settings including primary care, diabetes management, oncology, weight management, integrative and functional nutrition, home-based care, and specialty clinics through on-site appointments, as well as telehealth and video connect. Additionally, interns will provide inpatient medical nutritional therapy for patients in areas of chronic disease management, intensive care, surgery, long term care, and mental health. Our goal is to offer diverse learning experiences which will prepare you for a variety of positions in the field of dietetics. JHQVAMC DI is proud to offer Dietetic Interns a paid stipend for their training. This stipend is funded by the Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) and is provided during supervised practice hours only.

Orientation

The first week of the internship will be spent in orientation. Included in this week will be a general orientation to the JHQVAMC along with introduction to computerized charting and utilizing the nutrition care process. Each intern will have 40 hours of supervised practice experience weekly.

Important Dates to Highlight

*These events apply to those interested in both JHQVAMC pathways (DI only or MS/DI). 

Accreditation

The James H Quillen VA Medical Center Dietetic Internship Program has been granted candidate status by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190
Chicago, IL 60606-6995

Phone: (312) 899-0040, ext. 5400

800-877-1600, ext 5400

http://www.eatrightPRO.org/ACEND

JHQ VAMC DI Pathways: 

1. MS/DI combined option(total 20 months) in conjunction with the University of Alabama's online MS in Human Nutrition.

2. Dietetic internship only option(for those who have a master’s degree prior to admission to the DI, total 8 months).

MS/DI Combined Pathway and Partnership with the University of Alabama

The MS/DI option begins in August with first year fully online coursework through UA in fall, spring, and summer semesters.  Interns will relocate to Johnson City, TN to begin supervised practice in August, year 2, while continuing on-line enrollment at UA, to complete the required two courses per semester (fall and spring).  Interns in this option will complete supervised practice in April and the UA program requirements in May.

The internship has established a partnership with The University of Alabama (UA) to provide interns with the opportunity to enroll in a fully online, 30 credit-hour Master of Science program in Human Nutrition. The program is creatively designed to provide foundational knowledge before starting coursework, integrate class assignments with experiences in the internship, and assure advanced knowledge in the field of nutrition and dietetics. Internship directors work directly with university faculty to align assignments and activities, allowing students to complete the internship and master’s degree in less than two years. All courses are offered fully online, and out of state fees are waived. Financial aid is available to cover course tuition and living expenses, for students who qualify. The graduate program can accept up to 12 hours of graduate coursework as transfer credit that may be applied to the degree.

For more information contact the Human Nutrition program director, Dr. Tiffany Hylton, RDN, LD, at tmhylton@ches.ua.edu and see the MS in Human Nutrition webpage at: University of Alabama Masters in Human Nutrition Website.

For a general overview of the program, click here: Welcome to the Master of Science in Human Nutrition at The University of Alabama on Vimeo

A more detailed Q&A session can be found here:  University of Alabama Q&A Link 

Dietetic Internship Only Pathway

The DI only option begins in September and ends in April of the following year. Beginning with the Spring 2023 match, all applicants applying to the internship only track must have a master's degree prior to admission to the James H Quillen VAMC Dietetic Internship at Mountain Home/Johnson City, TN.  Degree conferral and submission of updated transcripts must occur prior to the program start date.

Both pathways (MS/DI and DI only) include up to a total of 1240 supervised practice hours, with rotations completed at JHQVAMC and affiliate sites, in and near Johnson City, TN.

Upon satisfactory completion of all program requirements, the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) Verification Statement will be awarded. Interns in the MS/DI combined option must complete all program requirements of UA and the JHQVAMC DI to receive a verification statement. 

Dietetic Internship Director- Contact Information: 

James H. Quillen VAMC
Lindsay Howell, MS, RD
Dietetic Internship Director / 120
Corner of Lamont & Veteran's Way
Johnson City, TN 37684
Email: Lindsay.Howell@va.gov
Phone: 423-979-2678

Steps for Becoming a RDN Include:

• Obtaining a Master’s degree and a verification statement from one of the following types of ACEND-accredited programs: Dietetic Internship (DI), an Individualized Supervised Practice program (ISPP), a Coordinated Program (CP) or Graduate Program (GP), all of which provide the required 1000 hours of supervised practice. 
  • Dietetic Internships require a DPD verification statement from an ACEND-accredited DPD program for admission. Most DIs require completion of a Master’s degree prior to admission, although some allow the Master’s to be in progress as long as it will be completed by the end of the DI. 
  • ISPPs have two audiences: individuals with a doctoral degree who want to complete 1000 hours of supervised practice to become and RDN or graduates of DPD program who did not match with a DI program. Refer to the ACEND program directory to identify these programs. 
  • CPs may be at the undergraduate or graduate level and meet both DPD supervised practice requirements. 
  • GPs may require a DPD verification statement or may simply have prerequisite course requirements for admission. These programs include a graduate degree and 1000 hours of supervised practice. 
• Pass the Registration Examination for Registered Dietitians, a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). 
• Obtaining licensure or certification, if the state in which you will be working requires licensure or certification.  
  • While state interpretations of statutes may vary, it is ACEND's considered opinion that the program meets the educational requirements for dietetics licensure and certification in all states. However, completing an ACEND accredited academic program alone does not qualify an individual for licensure or certification as a dietitian in any state. Individuals should review their state's licensing statutes and regulations to understand the specific requirements, including supervised practice and examinations, needed to obtain a dietetics license. For more information about state licensure requirements visit the Commission on Dietetic Registration State Licensure - Commission on Dietetic Registration (cdrnet.org).
  • Licensure is required in the state of Tennessee.  More information about licensure can be found online at the Tennessee Board of Dietitians/Nutritionist Examiners.
• Participate in ongoing continuing education to maintain your RDN credential and to stay-up-to-date on the latest research, recommendations, and best practices.
  • After successfully passing the national exam and earning the credential, RDNs maintain ongoing professional development in order to stay up to date on the latest research, recommendations and best practices.

Overall, as an accrediting agency, ACEND makes sure that students preparing for careers as RDNs are getting the education they need to qualify for taking the national RDN exam. There are several kinds of accredited dietetics education programs — each offering a different experience and "pathway" to RDN eligibility. To find out more about each “pathway” please see the EatRight.org website.

*Links will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs Website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites. The link will open in a new window.

Open House

Each year, the JHQVAMC hosts Open House forums, which provide attendees with the opportunity to learn all about our program. These are held each fall and winter.

For those unable to attend any planned session, small group meetings can be arranged. 
Planning a visit to the area? Reach out! We would love to meet up on campus to show you around. 

For any questions, email the Program Director, Lindsay Howell at Lindsay.Howell@va.gov. 


Page Updated: June 2025

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