 CAPT Edith M. Clark, USPHS Chief Professional Officer for the Dietitian Category |
| Meet the New Chief Professional Officer |
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CAPT Edith M. Clark was selected as the Chief Professional Officer for the Dietitian category effective 1 June 2009. As Chief Dietitian Officer, CAPT Clark is responsible for providing leadership and coordination of Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (Corps) dietitian professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). CAPT Clark will provide guidance and advice to the Surgeon General and the Dietitian/Nutrition Professional Advisory Committee (D/N PAC) on matters such as recruitment, retention, and career development of Corps dietitians.
CAPT Clark is the Director of Nutrition Services at Phoenix Indian Medical Center and the Director of the Southwestern Dietetic Internship Consortium. The Southwestern Dietetic Internship Consortium is the only dietetic internship for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) dietetic students. She is also the Lead Nutrition Consultant for the dietitians in the Phoenix Area Indian Health Service. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics in 1973 from Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, and completed her dietetic internship at Milwaukee County Medical Center in January 1975. She received her master’s degree in Business Administration in 1996 from the University of Phoenix. In addition to the degrees listed, CAPT Clark is also a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE), Certified Adult Weight Management Specialist, and also maintains current ServSafe certification related to food safety and sanitation. CAPT Clark began her career with the Indian Health Service (IHS) as a civil service employee in October 1978, and began her Corps career as a Supervisory Dietitian at the Chinle Comprehensive Health Care Facility in Chinle, Arizona, in 1992. After 4 years of service, she transferred to the Hopi Indian Reservation and served as the Supervisory Dietitian there for 3 years. During that time, she was also appointed as the Project Officer for the Special Diabetes Project and worked with other team members to develop a diabetes education and prevention program for the Hopi villages served by the Keams Canyon Service Unit. She was also designated as the Coordinator of the Diabetes program and worked closely with the Tribal Diabetes Prevention Team to prepare and present programs and diabetes awareness fairs. In 1999 she transferred to the Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC) as a Community Dietitian providing nutrition services at PIMC and in the outlying communities of Yavapai Apache Health Center, Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe, Tonto Apache Health Program, and the Fort McDowell Clinic. In 2002 CAPT Clark was designated as the Acting Director of Nutrition Services and in 2003 was selected as the Director of Nutrition Services at PIMC, overseeing the Clinical Nutrition program, patient and employee meal program, and the Ambulatory and Community nutrition program. She has been a member of the National Indian Health Service Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) Workgroup for the past 4 years, working to improve access to nutrition services, working with the Coding staff and the Patient Business Office for reimbursement of Medical Nutrition Therapy. CAPT Clark participated in the development and implementation of the IHS Curriculum for Gestational Diabetes. CAPT Clark holds membership in the American Dietetic Association, Central Arizona District Dietetic Association, Commissioned Officers Association, and the Reserve Officers Association. She was the Alaska representative to the American Dietetic Association House of Delegates and a past President of the Alaska Dietetic Association. She is also involved as a senior officer in the Dietitian/Nutritionist mentoring program for junior officers. CAPT Clark has been a Regular Corps officer since 2003, and has received numerous awards including a PHS Commendation Medal, two PHS Achievement Medals, a PHS Citation, six PHS Unit Commendations, the Crisis Response Service Award, two Isolated Hardship Medals and the Commissioned Corps Training award. In addition, CAPT Clark has been the recipient of two IHS National Directors Awards. |