Nutrition

Melissa Accardi is one of our Registered Dietitian Nutritionists who enjoys educating and inspiring others to improve their diets to achieve better health, quality of life, and vitality. Melissa has been dedicated to promoting health through nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle modifications as a dietitian for the past 8 years.  She has gained diverse clinical experience working in both hospitals and skilled nursing homes, but her passion in dietetics lies in promoting nutrition for the prevention of disease. She has worked in the integrative health and wellness arena as an outpatient dietitian for the past six years giving others nourishing tools and resources to take the next step forward in their health journey. Melissa earned her B.AS in Dietetics and registered dietitian credential in 2015 through Youngstown State University. She then pursued additional higher education to deep dive on emerging topics in nutrition science where she completed a M.S. Nutrition & Dietetics and thesis research on “The Impact of Dairy Consumption on Female Gynecological Disorders” from the University of Kansas.

Melissa has often been encouraged to become a home chef and to publish a cookbook as she spends a lot of spare time at the grocery store and preparing exciting, nutritious meals in the kitchen for her family.  She enjoys spending time outdoors and spoiling her two dogs.  “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill. Melissa is inspired by this quote, because she believes in the power of choosing our own attitudes to change our own latitudes (also taken from a Jimmy Buffet song). Melissa fuels her passion in dietetics and desire to help others improve their nutrition by first ensuring her own nutrition is optimal. Melissa finds that a healthier diet helps to keep her mind sharp, mood positive, and energy high which helps her to be her best self for her family and the patients and clients that she serves.

Susan Moore Rodgers is one of the registered dietitians at the WRCWC, counseling nutrition to members of the center and to clients in the Washington community.  She has been with WRCWC since May 2021.  Prior to working here, she counseled nutrition to patients at D’Eramo Family Medicine in Moon Township, PA and at the Nutrition Clinic at Heritage Valley Health Systems in Beaver, PA.  She also has experience working in weight loss and diabetes research.  She received her Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition from Texas Woman’s University.  She recently completed the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy (IFNA) training program and obtained the IFNA credential in August 2018.  In June 2019, she obtained the certified LEAP (Lifestyling Eating and Performance) credential which focuses on food sensitivities.  These credentials helped her learn that food sensitivities and nutrient deficiencies can cause weight imbalances and many other symptoms/health problems.  She believes that good nutrition is the foundation for optimal health and is passionate about empowering people to gain the knowledge and tools to achieve their health goals by using a whole foods and food as medicine approach.   She is greatly inspired working here, in an environment where people of all ages are exercising and trying to improve their health.

Susan enjoys cycling, gardening, knitting and music.  She holds a Master and Bachelor of Music in clarinet performance from Rice University in Houston, TX and also teaches music lessons.