The Challenge

Millions of children lack the nutrition required for normal physical, mental and social growth. About 30% of children worldwide experience developmental problems as a consequence of inadequate nutrition and repeated infections. Improved feeding practices can lead to dramatically better outcomes. Studies have long shown that nutrition during the first three years is crucial for lifelong health and well-being.

Nestlé Nutrition (part of Nestlé SA – the world leader in nutrition, health and wellness) is dedicated to specialized nutrition designed for infants, children, the elderly, the ill and frail, athletes, and people seeking to lose weight. The company wanted to enable their medical delegates worldwide to enhance their knowledge and expertise around the unique aspects of health and nutrition for infants and young children. This is in line with the Nestlé Nutrition mission of enhancing the quality of people’s lives through science-based nutrition products, services and education. Drawing on the expertise of worldwide research and development, Nestlé Nutrition meets the specific nutritional needs of consumers at every stage of life.

The Solution

Nestlé Nutrition chose CMR Institute as their partner to help design an international e-learning program on infant and child nutrition. Drawing on Nestlé Nutrition’s in-house proven expertise and experience, the program was created using external experts including CMR Institute’s renowned faculty and instructional designers. As a result, the program offers up-to-date and science-based content. Nestlé Nutrition chose CMR Institute because it is an independent, not-for-profit 501(3)c organization with a track record as a leading provider of educational solutions for the healthcare industry.

The Nutrition in Infancy and Childhood Specialty Certificate would bring an in-depth level of clinical understanding to Nestlé Nutrition’s medical delegates’ foundation of knowledge, thereby helping them become more valuable to clinicians and ultimately playing a role in improving the lives of infants and young children worldwide.

“It was vital to build on our medical delegates’ existing knowledge by providing a comprehensive level of clinical understanding,” says Arthur Miller, Medical Delegates Performance Development Manager at Nestlé Nutrition. “Medical delegates who master the content and complete this program can earn CMR certification in infant and child nutrition. This certification makes our medical delegates valuable and credible partners to clinicians and professionals with whom they interact on a daily basis.”

The first enrollments in the international online program began in January 2008. Medical delegates from 34 countries around the world – including Australia, Africa, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India and the Philippines – are participating in the program. Medical delegates from China (including Hong Kong) , Mexico and Pakistan will be participating in the next few months. By using the latest learning management technologies, the program gives participants the flexibility to learn and develop at their own pace.

“The Nutrition in Infancy and Childhood Specialty Certificate program was designed specifically for Nestlé Nutrition. It has the specific objective of enhancing knowledge of medical delegates in the area of nutrition for infants and young children,” says Michelle O’Connor, SVP Learning Strategy and Innovation of CMR Institute.

“By availing themselves of this CMR Institute learning technology, medical delegates improve their expertise, which is supported by CMR Institute’s independent and internationally recognized educational resources,” says Miller. “This is why we chose them.”