Registered Dietitian

Kaweah Health•Visalia, CA

34d•$36 - $54

About The Position

Kaweah Health is a publicly owned community healthcare organization serving the greater Visalia area in central California. It has more than 5,000 employees and operates an eight-campus healthcare district with 613 beds, providing services through an acute care hospital, specialized health centers, and clinics. The Registered Dietitian provides high-quality medical nutrition therapy as an active member of the multidisciplinary team. The position provides nutrition information to physicians and staff and represents Food and Nutrition Services throughout Kaweah Health. The role is full-time and benefit eligible, with a variable shift of eight hours or less, in the Food & Nutrition Services department. Depending on assignment, additional duties may include renal nutrition research and education; oversight of pediatric and infant formula planning and handling; diabetes education coordination and outreach; or foodservice compliance and oversight in long-term care, rehabilitation, or mental health settings.

Requirements

Required: Registered Dietitian (RD) license/certification.

Responsibilities

Assess and screen patients designated as high risk for optimal nutrition; develop nutrition treatment plans with the interdisciplinary team and, when possible, patients and families; and follow up to evaluate progress toward goals.
Develop individual Nutrition Care Plans and MDS plans for long-term care patients to meet their current nutrition needs.
Provide timely nutrition information and recommendations to physicians about patients' nutritional status, and document appropriately in the medical record.
Provide or coordinate nutrition education for patients and caregivers, tailor education to medical needs, cultural preferences, and patient readiness, and document it in the medical record.
Participate as a nutrition consultant in Continuum of Care Meetings, interdisciplinary meetings, unit rounds, and family conferences on assigned floors.
Identify opportunities to improve nutrition care; work with others to monitor services, plan and implement improvements, reassess outcomes, and make changes to support excellent patient care.
Participate in developing clinical nutrition Standards of Care and in continuous quality improvement.
For renal dietitian assignments, gather renal nutrition research materials and compile patient information, diet handbooks, and educational materials; provide renal nutrition in-service education to staff.
For pediatric/NICU assignments, oversee planning, preparation, storage, and dispensing of pediatric and infant formulas, and counsel parents or guardians on nutrition.
For diabetic education assignments, coordinate patient scheduling with the RN/CDE and social services in the Diabetes Center; participate in monthly reviews with the Medical Director; participate in or lead diabetes educator meetings, support groups, workshops, screenings, and outreach; and provide staff education to support competent diabetes education.
For long-term care, rehabilitation, or mental health assignments, oversee compliance in foodservice areas.
Use knowledge of community resources to help meet patients' nutritional needs.
Participate in task forces and committees where nutrition care or education is relevant, serving as a resource or owner to effect change.
Represent clinical nutrition and Kaweah Health at community meetings.
Provide care and services appropriate to the assigned population, considering growth and development as well as cultural, linguistic, spiritual, gender, and age-specific needs; communicate and care effectively for patients and families as reflected in the Plan for Provision of Care.
Perform other duties as assigned.