MDH WIC staff announcements
We are excited to share two new members of the state MDH WIC team.
The new East Central region consultant is Cierra Thibert. Cierra is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in dietetics administration. Cierra was previously a WIC CPA in Blue Earth County and then transitioned to the WIC coordinator role from July 2016 to May 2022. She has a variety of experiences working in public health including her most recent work as the Blue Earth County SHIP Coordinator. She was a Health Educator in Sibley County, and a child nutrition coordinator and backpack and volunteer coordinator with the Great Plains Food Bank. Prior to her work as a dietitian, she was a dietetic technician with Essentia Health. In Cierra’s free time, you will find her listening to music, reading and spending time outdoors with her spouse and their dog.
The new Southwest region consultant is Kristy Rott. Kristy is a Registered Dietitian with a master’s degree in public health from North Dakota State University. She is currently the WIC coordinator at Polk-Norman-Mahnomen Counties and participates in the WIC Advisory Group. Kristy has been in the coordinator role since 2022 and a WIC CPA since 2017. She has had a variety of other experiences including dietetic preceptor for North Dakota State University, and a direct support professional with the Anne Carlson Center where she provided care to children with special needs in residential and educational settings. In her free time, Kristy loves to run and ran in the 2024 Fargo marathon. She especially loves running with her black lab, Jenkins. Kristy and her husband live in Moorhead and love spending their summers at the lake.
We welcome both Cierra and Kristy! They will begin their work with MDH WIC on March 11. We will communicate their contact information when they start in their new roles.
Whole grains update
Whole grains are now shown in ounces instead of pounds, but families still get the same amount, and there are more choices that they can purchase!
Tips to support families in shopping:
- Remind them to check how many ounces they have left and use the app to find WIC-approved items.
- Checking their balance before shopping helps them use all their benefits.
- Until the final food rule is finished, families get the most value by choosing 16-ounce packages, but other sizes are okay too.
For more information on food package changes: Food Package Updates.
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Local agency staff should talk to their supervisor for approval before registering for training.
Refer to WIC Annual Required Trainings for staff training requirements.
Upcoming trainings
Neurodivergence and disordered eating: Part 2
Register for Early Childhood Mental Health: Foundational Information and Resources
Presenter: Maria Kroupina, PhD, Pediatric Psychologist at the University of Minnesota Health Pediatric Specialty Care Voyager Clinic and Pediatric Specialty Care Discovery Clinic.
When: Friday, April 24, from 9- 10 a.m.
Description: This one-hour webinar will explore the relationship between infant and early childhood mental health and pediatric feeding behaviors. Gain an understanding of the ways trauma impacts behaviors and the red flags that raise an alarm. Learn about valuable tools that can strengthen the family environment and resources that support their needs. This is part one of a two-part series.
Questions: Contact Carole Kelnhofer
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Staff Burnout Training
Register for the session option that meets your availability:
Presenter: Sonia Ellis-Taylor, B.S., Learning Consultant with Learning Dynamics, DDI Certified Trainer, and also certified in True Colors.
Description: This interactive session explores how everyday stress quietly escalates into burnout and why simply powering through doesn’t work. Using humor and real-life examples, participants learn how stress affects the brain, how to recognize burnout early, and practical strategies that work in real jobs with real deadlines. Attendees leave with better tools, clearer boundaries, and the reassurance that needing support is not a personal failure.
Questions: Contact Carole Kelnhofer
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Lessons in WIC: Case studies
Description: Join us for a one-hour virtual session where we will cover real-life scenarios to help WIC CPAs recognize and manage common nutrition concerns. Content will repeat monthly with a new topic quarterly. No registration is required; join the session that fits your availability. Sessions will not be recorded.
Join link: Lessons in WIC: Case Studies
Training will be held on the third Thursday of every month from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
- Jan.- March: Anemia Case Study
- April- June: Childhood Obesity Case Study
- July- Sept.: Common Nutrition Concerns During Pregnancy Case Study
- Oct.- Dec.: Picky Eating Case Study
NOTE: If you plan to bring this training back to your team, we recommend that at least one member of your staff attend the live presentation to support a train-the-trainer approach.
Please see our Lessons in WIC: Case Studies webpage for more information.
Questions? Contact Carole Kelnhofer.
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On demand trainings
Recorded webinars not for credit
MN WIC has created a Recorded Webinars library for relevant and timely on-demand training topics that do not provide continuing education credits. These training videos may be shared with partner organizations in the interest of continuity of care.
Now available:
NOTE: These are separate from our trainings posted on the MDH Learning Center. The MDH Learning Center training courses are intended for WIC staff.
Great Lakes Breastfeeding Webinar
Register for a special Great Lakes Breastfeeding Webinar, “Removing Barriers Collectively: Working Together to Improve Health Outcomes for Families,” Featuring a panel discussion with Angelene Love, BS, Doula, CBS; Tameka White, CLS; Dera Williams, LCE; Natosha Sage-EL Bylsma, IBCLC, CPST; Lindsey McGahey, IBC, IFSD, BE; Steph Thornton, CHW; and Kiara Baskin, CD, CLC, CHW, moderated by Shonte’ Terhune-Smith, BS, IBCLC, BD.
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The group will discuss how organizations and maternal health providers can work together with community organizations to improve health outcomes for families. View on demand and receive continuing education credits for this recorded presentation.
New and existing Great Lakes Breastfeeding Webinars can be viewed on-demand at glbw.thinkific.com.
The week ahead
Check out upcoming trainings and meetings: Local Agency WIC Calendar
Find new job opportunities on the WIC Job Postings webpage. This week includes:
- Rice County Public Health Nursing Services - WIC Program, WIC Professional (CPA)
Submit job postings using the WIC Job Postings survey.
Protecting kids starts here – new webpage on environmental hazards
MDH's new webpage Resources for Children's Environmental Health brings together information about contaminants that affect children. Children are especially vulnerable to environmental hazards because their bodies and brains are still developing. This new resource page connects parents, caregivers, and communities to practical information to help keep kids healthy. We added the link to our Additional Support for Families webpage.
Opportunity for older youth (ages 14-18)
If your local agency has any participants with older children in their families, you can pass along this opportunity.
MDH is launching a creator coalition of youth to promote awareness of and share educational materials about priority public health topics.
Minnesota youth aged 14-18 year old are encouraged to submit a MN Youth Public Health Content Creator Application. Those chosen to be social media content creators and influencers will be compensated! This is a great opportunity for students interested in public health or social media. Participation will be primarily between March – June, and the program is flexible to allow students to participate as their schedule permits. Students simply need to complete the application, and a project lead will be in touch with more info on how they’ll get paid, considerations for safety and rights, and provide a contract for the youth and their guardian to sign.
The coalition is slated to kick off in late February, so please share this opportunity with your networks and encourage youth to apply!
Monday, Feb. 16 - Presidents' Day (state offices closed)
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