“The grant from NFEF was just another thing that I didn’t have to think about! It helped me expedite taking my credentialing exam in which I scored very well and went on to attain the CDM, CFPP title. I am the Executive Chef at Saint Peter's University Hospital in central New Jersey. It's a very large operation with numerous specialties where the buck for anything "Food" stops at me.  My team and I take pride in what we do every single day, serving delicious, nutritious food to our guests, patients and the community.  We have a hybrid room service model for patients and my experience as chef and now, insight into dietetics, helps me make better decisions when it comes to foodservice operations which has had far reaching positive impact on many fronts from customer  and medical staff satisfaction, use of seasonal and local products and sustainability, improved operational efficiency to reductions in labor and food expenses.

During my Pathways coursework, I often reached to my dietitian colleagues at the hospital with queries and clarifications. My boss who is also an RD was a big resource and helped clarify concepts with real life examples.  This partnership has helped me understand patient dietetic needs better and I now, more than ever before, use the CDM's knowledge during my weekly rounds with patients very extensively. Guiding patients and even friends or colleagues on choosing optimal foods and ingredients to eat or how to go about preparing and cooking them has been very rewarding, to the extent that our Press Ganey scores for Meals during Q2 were at 99%. This is a feat that we have never attained, and I owe a lot to my improved knowledge base. The senior management has recognized this accomplishment and the journey leading to that success. ”

Aatul Jain, CDM, CFPP
Summer Certification Exam Grant Recipient