HAWC’s new dietician finds home in MacDill, 6 AMW

  • Published
  • By Nick Stubbs
  • Thunderbolt editor
MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  She's been a clinical dietician, worked in the wellness realms and been a dietary administrator, but Susan Haley found 'home' when she joined the MacDill Health and Wellness Center staff in June. 

A registered dietitian now helping military members from the wing, their families and base employees map out a course to healthful living (through healthful eating), working for the Air Force and 6th Air Mobility Wing is a treat, she says. Her boss, Joan Craft, the director of the HAWC, says the feeling is mutual. And if either of them needed to have their opinions reinforced, that came recently when Ms. Haley was chosen as the Air Force contract dietitian of the quarter - a honor difficult to achieve considering the size of the worldwide field. 

"She deserved it," said Ms. Craft, who submitted Ms. Haley for the award. "Writing this package (for award submission) was easy work, because she is such a hard worker and so great to work with." 

Ms. Haley was surprised and humbled by the award. She attributes the recognition to her coworkers and the environment at MacDill. Because she enjoys the job and the support she receives so much, doing a good job is that much easier, she said.
"There are a lot of good folks here to work with, which makes working hard a pleasure," said Ms. Haley. "It's a great team I am working with here." 

Ms. Haley went on to note that a pleasant change for her has been the difference in attitude between civilian and military environments. The equipment and professional support from the wing and the Air Force has been heads and shoulders above what she experienced in past jobs, she said. 

"The Air Force puts its money where its mouth is," she said. "The equipment is better, the materials I have for presentations and (health) programs are genuinely part of the culture." 

Civilian hospitals can be filled with some of the least healthy staff members imaginable, she opined, due to the long work hours and unhealthful lifestyles that accompany them. In contrast, the Air Force and military environment stipulates health and fitness and encourages fitness and better health. 

"They live it here; not just talk about it," she said.
Ms. Haley said one of her main goals is to keep up that positive spirit, a challenge at times. Many of the servicemembers she counsels end up in her office as a result of being overweight, and she works to dispel notions that she is there only to be a "fat doctor" of sorts. 

Servicemembers have a unique opportunity to take advantage of professional diet counseling that many civilians don't have, as the service is rarely covered under standard medical insurance programs. The military's interest in keeping the force fit to fight is thus a boon to Airmen, who have access to assistance to improve their personal and professional lives. 

"I try to make them understand that diet and fitness are not just job requirements but important to their enjoyment of life off the job," Ms. Haley said. 

And she has the tools for the job. In addition to her knowledge of diet, a new HAWC machine that measures a person's metabolism by reading their respiration, and body-fat analysis equipment, give MacDill personnel a technological advantage and a quicker path to fitness. 

"I'm not used to the kind of support and equipment we have here," said Ms. Haley. "It's nice to have what we need to do a good job." 

For now, Ms. Haley is working diligently to identify helpful programs and ways to manage wellness through diet, which is her area of interest, but she also assists the base hospital with clinical counseling for those with health problems. 

Typically she may see patients from toddlers to seniors, prescribing diet plans geared to treating their medical problems. 

"It's a lot, but I enjoy it here a lot and I like to work hard," said Ms. Haley. "It's really a pleasure, and I don't think I've ever been more happy to do it than I am here."