Registered Clinical Dietitian

Description:This position is located in Southeast Utah on the Navajo Nation under Utah Navajo Health system, Inc (UNHS). UNHS is a not-for-profit community health clinic that provides comprehensive health, behavioral, and dental care among four clinic sites: Blanding, Montezuma Creek, Monument Valley, and Navajo Mountain. The purpose of the position is to provide a comprehensive nutrition care program for the surrounding population. The registered dietitian functions as a member of the clinical team, assessing nutritional needs patients within the community. This includes, but is not limited to: planning, coordinating and evaluating the nutritional component of health care services for specific comorbidities and throughout the life span.

• Location: Montezuma Creek, Utah
• Full-time Benefits include: PTO leave, Vacation hours, Holiday pay, full medical insurance, Life insurance, 5% of gross to a 403b retirement account. Wellness benefits. Optional coverage for dental, short/long term disability.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Occupation involves patient assessment, diagnosis, intervention, and monitoring of individuals and groups within the community. This includes consideration of cultural background, dietary habits, language, and education counseling. Medical nutrition therapy (MNT), nutrition consultation, and in-service training to the community and employees is provided. Independent professional decisions and recommendations concerning dietary treatment and changes are made. Nutritional status, medication, treatment methods and progress of each individual may vary and requires regular, periodic review and often modification.

The purpose of the work is to plan, conduct, and evaluate the entire community nutrition service which affects the whole health status of an individual or group.

This position will carry out the following responsibilities:

1. Dietitian works independently and in collaboration with UNHS medical team(s) and community outreach organizations.
2. Provide MNT based on disease process, using the Nutrition Care Process (NCP). Disease process may include but is not limited to: prediabetes, diabetes, gestational diabetes, diabetes during pregnancy, adult obesity, childhood obesity, malnutrition, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
3. Provide MNT based on the needs of the patient and available resources. Provide information on organizations that can help increase food security among the patient population.
4. Provides diabetes nutrition counseling/education to the patients and employees of UNHS.
5. Works with the diabetes educator/coordinator for each facility in coordinating services aimed at reducing the incidence of diabetes, assists in maintaining the diabetes registry assuring all data is current and accurate, analyzes and interprets diabetes data, compiles diabetes-related reports including diabetes audit and cost and care report.
6. Responsible for educating diabetic patients about disease, process, management, complications, and treatment using the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES).
7. Assist the diabetes educator/coordinator in Coordinating all preventive care for the diabetic patients, including, but not limited to annual labs, EKG, retinal eye exams, dental exams, etc.
8. Observe patients, record significant conditions and reactions, and notify the supervisor or primary care provider (PCP) of the patient's condition and reaction to drugs, treatments, and significant incidents of in-person visits.
9. Initiates a patient education plan according to the individualized needs of the patient, as prescribed by the PCP including patient and family instruction.
10. Rotates among various clinical sites: Montezuma Creek, Monument Valley, Blanding, and Navajo Mountain as needed.
11. Participates in department or unit quality improvement activities as needed.
12. Work towards completion of education in specific certifications such as certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES), certified intuitive eating counselor, certified location counselor, certified group fitness instructor or personal trainer, etc., if or when desired by the company of UNHS or the registered dietitian themselves.
13. Take initiative to undertake all necessary tasks, projects, and actions to maintain DCP program requirements as needed.
14. Assists diabetes educator/coordinator in maintaining a monthly calendar of Diabetes Control and Prevention (DCP) events both for outreach and clinical. Responsible for attending monthly and quarterly DCP collaborative meetings.

Requirements:

1. Thorough knowledge of the science of human nutrition and its relationship to health and disease, public practices, nutritional needs of the service unit population and standards of nutritional care.
2. Knowledge of food service management, food sanitation and safety.
3. Knowledge of current federal regulations that govern programs with a nutrition component to provide consultation to Native American groups.
4. General Knowledge of Navajo and Native American social and economic characteristics, resources, methods, and ability to apply community nutrition principles to these patterns and adapt food preferences into individual nutrition plans.
5. Current professional knowledge as required to provide consultation to tribal programs with food production and nutrition components.
6. Knowledge of appropriate education, training principles, and techniques to instruct the community group served.
7. Ability to plan, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive community nutrition program based on the above knowledge listed.
8. Current professional knowledge as required to direct the activities of the dietary department as needed.
9. Knowledge of a wide range of principles and practices of clinical dietetics and the relationship of other illness and treatment methods to a specific specialty.
10. Ability in obtaining information, analyzing dietary needs, and in translating such information into an individual diet plan for patients or individuals.
11. Knowledge and ability to provide nutrition therapy care to a specific age of the patients served.
12. Incumbent demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the lifespan.
13. Ability to identify and categorize each patient’s age-specific grouping of needs (i.e. infant, adolescent, or geriatric).

Required Qualifications

1. Education and experience: Requisite to adequately fulfill the duties and responsibilities of this position. This includes Commission on Dietetic Registration credentialing for Registered Dietitian status and state licensure status for Utah under the Division of Occupation and Licensing.

As a Tribal Organization, Utah Navajo Health System, Inc. (UNHS) treats patients with high risk and underlying chronic medical conditions. Therefore, UNHS requires its employees to show proof of immunization prior to their employment with UNHS or during their employment. Below is a list of immunizations/vaccinations required to be employed or to continue employment with UNHS.

The immunizations/vaccinations include but are not limited to the following:

• MMR (Measles Rubeola, Mumps, Rubella): Documentation of two MMR vaccines (OR) Documentation of MMR titers.
• Complete Hepatitis B vaccine series (3 doses), documented proof of titers indicating immunity, or a declination that may be signed uponarrival.
• Proof of up-to-date PPD skin testing, if previously negative (OR) Proof of positive PPD skin test with the most recent chest x-ray and treatment history.
• Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap).
• Varicella titers, history of varicella or varicella immunization series.
• Influenza vaccine for the current year.
• COVID-19 vaccine
• Any other vaccinations as requested.

UNHS would not be able to achieve our goal of quality equitable healthcare for people living in southeastern Utah without our committed and competent staff. UNHS continually attracts the most devoted healthcare professionals and administrators this region has to offer.We offer the opportunity to work with a dynamic team providing care to medically underserved communities. UNHS hires in accordance with NPEA and EEOC standards.