Dietitian (Clinical) - Home Based Primary Care

Veterans Health Administration • Fort Meade, SD

11d • Onsite

About The Position

Employees in this assignment serve as a Dietitian (Clinical) providing Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) within the Clinical Section of Nutrition and Food Services (NFS), serving as the medical nutrition expert. They work autonomously and apply evidence-based nutrition practice guidelines for patients. The position provides nutrition care to Veterans, including assessment, medical nutrition therapy, education, interdisciplinary collaboration, and quality improvement. The work schedule is full-time, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Telework is ad hoc; this is not a virtual position. The role involves frequent home-based travel and requires a driving physical. Recruitment incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates; permanent change of station relocation is not authorized.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Must be registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Registered Dietitian (RD), except for qualifying GS-07 and GS-09 temporary appointments.
• For the GS-07/GS-09 non-credentialed exception: bachelor's or higher degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent, and completion of an ACEND-accredited experiential or supervised practice program with verification of eligibility to take the CDR registration exam.
• Foreign degrees must be evaluated by ACEND and meet its International Dietitian Education standards to be creditable.
• For GS-09, either at least one year of experience equivalent to GS-07 or a master's degree from a regionally accredited university or college; also demonstrate the listed knowledge, skills, and abilities in accrediting and regulatory requirements, virtual nutrition care, NCP-based patient care, evidence-based practice, patient-centered goals, performance-improvement data collection, and stakeholder collaboration.
• For GS-11, at least one year of experience as an RDN equivalent to GS-09, plus skills in NCP-based patient care, interpreting research and applying evidence-based practices, developing patient-centered goals, analyzing performance-improvement data, collaborating with stakeholders, and complying with accrediting, regulatory, and agency authorities.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Must complete required background/security investigation and online onboarding, provide acceptable identification, and pass a pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Must complete all application requirements in the announcement's Required Documents section.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.
• Driving physical required.

Nice To Haves

• Preferred experience: ability to self-direct with minimal supervision from a supervisor.
• Preferred experience: ability to travel frequently for home-based care without direct supervision.

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive nutrition assessments using the Nutrition Care Process (NCP), including nutrition-focused physical examinations, to establish nutrition diagnoses and determine risk or degree of malnutrition.
• Develop and implement Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), evaluate and monitor intervention effectiveness and outcomes, and modify plans as needed to achieve positive patient outcomes.
• Calculate nutrient requirements and necessary diet restrictions or food and drug interactions, tailoring diet prescriptions to individual patients.
• Document MNT in the medical record using the Assessment, Diagnosis, Intervention, Monitoring, Evaluation (ADIME) format.
• Maintain independent and accurate record keeping, including recording daily clinical activities and completing patient encounters using approved systems.
• Identify patients in need of nutritional support, recommend the appropriate mode of support, and communicate with the health care team.
• Participate in formal and informal interdisciplinary team meetings.
• Assess educational needs and provide nutrition education and counseling to individuals and groups, tailored to Veterans.
• Use virtual care technology to improve access to care.
• Maintain productivity standards.
• Support continuous improvement of safe, quality care for Veterans.
• Lead implementation activities for new initiatives; use data to develop measures, evaluate data, and initiate corrective actions.
• Comply with The Joint Commission requirements and other accrediting agency standards to ensure safe, quality patient care.
• Collaborate with the Food Operations Section and department leadership to enhance Veterans' dining experience, support patient satisfaction, and serve as a liaison between clinical units and the Food Operations Section.
• Perform other related duties as assigned that are appropriate for the grade and assignment.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to the employee and family, with eligibility depending on position type.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval before appointment and not guaranteed.
• Highly qualified candidates may be eligible for a recruitment incentive.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level