Lead Clinical Dietician

Responsible for providing clinical nutrition services, including nutrition assessment, modified diet formulation, self-management training and nutrition intervention to patients/residents. Ensures patient satisfaction, quality care, regulatory agency compliance, and good public relations are achieved through the safe and efficient use of resources.
Job must provide nutrition services in identified specialty area for a minimum of 70% of work load/responsibilities. Specialty areas include NICU, bariatric, renal, cardiac, diabetes, nutrition support, transplant, oncology, pediatrics and out-patient services. Any other areas must be approved by the Manager and Director.
This position provides supervisory functions for the Clinical Dieticians (can be in levels 1 thru 4) and/or an operational area (Formula Lab). Lead coaches, mentors, develops, and provides clinical supervisory support.
Minimum Education
Bachelor's Degree Public Health Nutrition, Nutrition Science, Nutrition, Dietetics, or nutrition related field (Required)
Master's Degree (Preferred)
Minimum Work Experience
5 years Experience and/or completed internship, preferably in the area of maternal and child health (Required)
2 years supervisory experience (Preferred)
Required Skills/Knowledge
Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of medical staff, healthcare professionals, managers, clients, customers, and the general public.
Mathematical Skills: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as proportions, percentages, and volume. Ability to apply concepts of basic algebra.
Computer Skills: Possesses necessary skills to effectively operate the hospital's electronic medical record system. Ability to operate a standard computer, including basic use of MS applications such as Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
Reasoning Ability: Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret a variety of technical instructions and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.
Supervisory Skills: Provides supervision, coaching, mentoring, and clinical supervision to an area (Formula Lab) or to 7 to 10 Clinical Dieticians that are in levels 1 thru 4 in the clinical ladder structure.
Required Licenses and Certifications
Licensed in the District of Columbia. Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (Required) Specialty Certification required: CDE, CSR, CSP, CNSC, when applicable (Required)
Functional Accountabilities

• Assesses the nutritional status of neonates/ infants, pediatric, adolescent, adult and/or geriatric patient through documentation in the medical record. Uses parameters such as anthropometric measurements, nutrition-focused physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory values.

• Develops and revises a nutrition care plan based on information from the patient, medical record, family and health care team members.

• Incorporates current evidence-based research into practice.

• Utilizes physician/referring practitioner-driven protocols or other facility-specific processes to implement, initiate or modify order for diet or nutrition-related actions (e.g. nutrition supplements, dietary supplements, diet modifications, diet texture modifications for dentition or individual preferences, nutrition-related laboratory tests and medications, and nutrition education and counseling) consistent with specialized training where required, competence and approved clinical privileges and organization policy.

• Utilizes physician/referring practitioner-driven protocols or other facility-specific processes to manage nutrition support therapies (e.g., enteral and parenteral formula selection and rate adjustments based on energy needs or laboratory results, addition of designated medications and vitamin/mineral supplements to parenteral nutrition solutions or supplemental water for enteral nutrition, and placement of feeding tubes) consistent with specialized training where required, competence and approved clinical privileges and organization policy.

• Executes programs/services in an organized, collaborative, and customer-centered manner. Participates in process for ordering privileges required for expanded roles and enhanced activities consistent with federal and state practice acts.

• Adheres to facility confidentiality, HIPAA regulations, and patient rights policies.

• Complies with regulatory standards, including federal, state and accrediting agencies.

• Completes all required documentation, reports and logs in a timely, professional and thorough manner.

• Communicates effectively with all team members, patients and families through conferences, individual consultation and committee participation. This includes in-person, telephone, written, and electronic communication.

• Orients, mentors and trains staff and interns, as applicable.

• Advises department on patient care and food service issues.

• Assists with menu planning based for diets relevant to their specialty areas in collaboration with the food service management team.

• Follows facility and department infection control policies and procedures.

• Participates in facility-wide and department Quality Assurance/Performance Improvement (QAPI) Program and on QAPI teams to improve processes and patient care.

• Participates in and attends departmental meetings, staff development, patient care rounds and professional programs, as appropriate.

• Visits patients on assigned nursing unit(s) and contributes to every patient being visited by a member of the management or professional team at least once during their hospital stay.

• Assists and contributes to patient satisfaction goals by providing quality service.

• Projects and practices consistent ownership attributes, which provide a high level of customer service at all points of contact.

• Reads and complies with all policies and procedures of the facility, Morrison Healthcare/TouchPoint and Compass as appropriate.

• Follows all security procedures for facility and department.

• Responds to utility failures per department policy.

• Follows facility, department, Morrison Healthcare/TouchPoint, and Compass safety policies and procedures to include incident reporting.

• Wears name tag identification and is aware of role in minimizing security incidents.

• Follows the facility's protocols for Hazardous Materials and Waste Program.

• Adheres to Emergency Preparedness Program. Participates in disaster drills as appropriate.

• Adheres to Life Safety Program and participates in fire drills as appropriate.

• Coaches, mentors and supervises assigned operational area and/or Clinical Dieticians in the in-patient and/or ambulatory areas.

• Performs other tasks that may be assigned.

Organizational Accountabilities
Organizational Accountabilities (Leader)
Deliver

• Set and clearly communicate team goals and priorities in alignment with departmental goals and budgets

• Develop the budget and assign resources to meet the team goals

• Provide the resources and guidance required for employees to perform effectively

• Develop procedures to ensure high safety and quality, and course-correct as needed

• Identify customers' needs and ensure service excellence in meeting those needs

Engage

• Be the link between the department and the team in defining the strategies to meet team goals

• Provide prompt and clear feedback to staff and support their performance

• Ensure team adherence to organizational regulations

• Manage the working environment to promote productivity and motivation

• Represent the team in clearing obstacles to high performance

• Hire staff and develop their capabilities

• Monitor and promote strong employee engagement

Grow

• Encourage and share new ways of making the right work easier to do

• Recognize and share incremental improvements in operations

• Promote the success of organizational and department initiatives by clearly aligning programs to the mission