Dietitian HCC

About the position

Responsible for assuming professional responsibility and accountability for the Dietary Services Department in the provision of nourishing, palatable, well-balanced diets to meet the daily nutritional and special dietary needs of each resident according to their comprehensive resident assessment and plan of care. In collaboration with the Dietary Manager and Administrator, allocates department resources in an efficient and economic manner to ensure each resident receives food in amount, type, consistency and frequency to maintain usual body weight and nutritional values.

Responsibilities

• Interviews patient/family to obtain pertinent nutrition information needed for the development of an individualized dietary plan of care for residents.
• Completes appropriate clinical documentation in the medical record pertaining to the nutritional needs of the patient in accordance with the patient comprehensive assessment and care plan to comply with regulatory guidelines.
• Completes and updates dietary assessments as part of the comprehensive resident assessment process.
• Reviews regular and therapeutic diet orders to ensure they are served as prescribed and in accordance to the menu.
• Reviews and documents patient's cultural backgrounds that may affect food consumption.
• Interviews patient/family member to obtain updated information needed to accommodate individual needs and preferences and to protect and promote patients/residents' rights.
• Works cooperatively with members of the interdisciplinary team to develop, implement and evaluate residents' plan of care.
• Attends care plan conferences and communicate resident concerns and responses to interventions to the interdisciplinary team members and direct care staff.
• Provides quarterly audits of the clinical record to identify any potential opportunities for improvement and ensure compliance with regulatory guidelines.
• Identifies ways to accommodate residents' choices, preferences and customary routines in regards to dining and include the approaches in the plan of care and communicate to appropriate staff members.
• Adjusts menus as deemed appropriate to meet the preferences of the resident population of the facility.
• Conducts regular meal observations, record reviews, and resident interviews for adherence to prescribed diet orders and nutrition interventions.
• Conducts quality assurance functions that include regular compliance rounds of the Dietary Department's food preparation and storage areas for adherence to regulatory guidelines.
• Directs staff in improving the quality of foods served and the dining experience.
• In collaboration with the Dietary Manager, conduct interviews and hire staff that meet the qualifications to perform all essential functions of the job.
• Gathers and presents supplemental documentation to avoid potential deficiencies.
• Collaborates with Corporate Dietitian for timely responses to requests for information and suggestions to improve quality of Dietary Services.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics or related field.
• A minimum of two (2) years in a professional food service setting and clinical experience in a health care setting which includes identification of dietary needs, planning and implementation of dietary programs.
• Must have current, unrestricted and active registration by the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics relative to state of practice.

Nice-to-haves

• Previous experience as a Dietitian in long term and/or geriatric care.