VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Mission Statements
VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System
- Mission: Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
- Vision: Exceptional care through extraordinary partnerships
VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System NFS Department
- Mission: Provide excellent comprehensive and innovative nutrition and food service programs for veterans that is evidence based and supports the continuum of healthcare through interdisciplinary collaboration both within and outside the Veterans Health Administration.
- Vision: Deliver premier level nutrition and food service programs to veterans using people centered, results driven, and forward-looking principles.
VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System Dietetic Internship Program
- Mission: To develop entry-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionists who can assume roles in the dietetics field and commit to evidence-based practice to improve health outcomes of our nation's growing diverse Veteran and civilian population.
- Vision: To prepare students for a successful career in the field of nutrition and dietetics by our commitment to provide evidence-based practice learning that can be applied to an array of dietetic careers to ultimately improve health outcomes for a diverse population.
VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System Dietetic Internship Program Goals and Objectives*:
Program Goal #1: Program Graduates will apply the knowledge, skill and ability gained in the Dietetic Internship Program to become an entry-level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and obtain employment in nutrition and dietetics or related field.
- MS/DI option: At least 80 percent of interns complete program requirements within 27 months (150% of planned program length).
- Internship only option: At least 80 percent of interns complete program requirements within 15 months (150% of planned program length).
- Of graduates who seek employment, at least 80 percent are employed in nutrition and dietetics or related fields within 12 months of graduation.
- At least 80 percent of program graduates take the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists within 12 months of program completion.
- The program's one-year pass rate (graduates who pass the registration exam within one year of first attempt) on the CDR credentialing exam for dietitian nutritionists is at least 80%.
- 80 percent of VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System Dietetic Internship Program graduates will report high confidence in their ability to work as an entry level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
- 80 percent of program preceptors will report overall confidence in their ability to facilitate learning experiences that prepare graduates to become entry level Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
Program Goal #2: Program Graduates will apply evidence-based practice to the Nutrition Care Process to ensure positive health outcomes and enhance the quality of care to support the nation’s increasingly diverse citizens.
- 80 percent of employers will rate program graduates as competent in applying evidence-based practice to the Nutrition Care Process, 1 year after program completion.
- 80 percent of VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System Dietetic Internship Program graduates will report confidence in their ability to apply evidence-based practice to the Nutrition Care Process 1 year after program completion.
- 25 percent of VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System Dietetic Internship graduates are employed with a local, state or federal agency serving marginalized groups within 12 months of program completion.
*Program outcomes data is available upon request from Shannon Casas, MS, RD, CNSC at Shannon.Casas@va.gov.
