That’s My Job: Registered Dietitians

Published on Monday, March 17, 2025

By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu

Photos By: Jay Ferchaud/ UMMC Communications

From the smallest newborn to adults learning to live with diabetes or heart disease, every inpatient at the University of Mississippi Medical Center is nourished through the care of the Medical Center’s registered dietitians. 

“We deal with everything and anything,” Amanda Ming, manager of clinical nutrition, said of the 10 registered dietitians serving UMMC’s adult hospitals and the 11 at Children’s of Mississippi. “Registered dietitians work with neonatal intensive care patients, trauma patients who may have difficulty eating, patients recovering from surgery, and those who have diabetes and renal disease who have to change what they eat as part of their treatment.” 

The myriad conditions of Medical Center patients require the personalized nutrition care provided by registered dietitians, who are essential members of UMMC’s care teams. RDs at UMMC also work with patients who use gastric tubes or nasal-gastric tubes for feeding as well as those patients who use ventilators.  

Margaret Swearingen, manager of clinical nutrition at Children’s of Mississippi, said registered dietitians meet the challenges of caring for ill and injured children at the state’s only children’s hospital. 

“Nutrition is vital for children’s growth and development, so pediatric registered dietitians work to make sure that children get what they need to thrive,” she said. 

Children’s of Mississippi patients that benefit from the care of registered dietitians include newborns, children with cleft conditions that may have trouble feeding, children with genetic conditions that affect foods tolerated, children healing from trauma, children with medically complex conditions and patients who have conditions ranging from Type 1 diabetes to leukemia, congenital heart defects and kidney disease.  

Among other specialties and subspecialties that work closely with registered dietitians include oncology, cardiology, the Mississippi Burn Center, bone marrow transplant, pulmonology, genetics and organ transplant. 

“Our goal is to make sure all our patients get the nutrition they need and have the education they need to have the best health and quality of life,” Ming said.  

Becoming a registered dietitian requires completion of an intensive practice internship. Starting in 2024, students are required to earn a graduate degree to be eligible to take the national registration examination offered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration. At UMMC, students from the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi serve as pediatric RD interns. 

UMMC’s registered dietitians are essential members of the care team, said Alice Chaney Herndon, nursing director of Adult Nursing Administration. 

“The adult hospital registered dietitians play a crucial role in providing care for some of UMMC’s most critically ill patients,” she said. “Their expertise in clinical nutrition is vital to the healing process, and they are an integral part of the care team. In the Adult Hospital, they care for patients across the life span including Medical Surgical and Critical Care patients. Our RDs collaborate with the multidisciplinary teams to ensure our patients get the nutrition support they need to get back on their feet and on the road to recovery.” 

Dr. Will Campbell, professor of cardiology, agrees.  

“RDs are absolutely critical in educating our coronary artery disease patients on proper dietary habits,” he said. “This may be as, if not more, important than any medication in reducing their risk of future adverse cardiac events.” 

UMMC’s registered dietitians are “invaluable,” said Ellen Hansen, Children’s of Mississippi chief operations officer and chief nursing officer.   

“They are highly educated, most at the master's level, complete rigorous internships and pass extensive board examinations,” she said. “RDs follow standards of practice, assess acute and chronic needs, basing their findings on medical history, lab work and weight history. They provide in-depth nutritional counseling to help people achieve their optimal health and well-being. Nutrition is the fuel that aids the body in healing, and, in children, adequate nutrition is essential to healthy growth. Our dietitians bring so much to the overall care we provide to Mississippi’s children. We could not provide world class health care without them.”