Senior Dietitian – Food Service

Major Responsibilities 

• Directs, plans, and manages the development and implementation of clinical nutrition and operational quality standards for both inpatient and/or outpatient nutrition services. Collaborates with hospital administration, medical staff, nursing, and other allied health care professionals at both the system and site level. Serves as the site nutrition expert on all nutrition-related matters.
• Actively participates in the Advocate Health Midwest Region Clinical Nutrition Committee (CNC) to design, develop, implement, and evaluate new clinical practices and programs. Communicates and implements new clinical initiatives. Provides leadership for all aspects of clinical nutrition care and education. Effectively implements practices and initiatives to promote the established region standards of clinical excellence.
• Routinely monitors clinical dietitian documentation for elements of the Global Malnutrition Composite Score (GMCS) for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Nutrition Electronic Quality Indicators. Develops site-based nutrition Quality Assessment Performance Improvement (QAPI) efforts to ensure nutrition care is safe and effective for patients. Develops and implements action plans for any quality indicator not meeting goal.
• Ensures department clinical standards comply with safety initiatives, policies, procedures, DNV regulations, and department standards and/or local health department regulations. Plans, directs and supervises the development, implementation, maintenance and evaluation of a comprehensive nutrition-focused Continuous Quality Improvement program.
• Assists in hiring and onboarding a skilled clinical nutrition staff capable of providing essential nutrition care to patients, in compliance with the standards set by the department, hospital, DNV and other regulatory agencies. Annually evaluates competency of clinical dietitians per system-established competency standards. Provides training and feedback to clinical dietitians and other Food and Nutrition teammates, as applicable. Provides input on performance reviews.
• Oversees and participates in ongoing Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) care for entire hospital inpatient census, through screening, prioritizing, assessing, and recommending interventions. Maximizes efficiencies of clinical nutrition team to balance workloads due to fluctuations in census, consults, acuity, staffing challenges.
• Ensures competency of clinical nutrition team to perform Nutrition Focused Physical Examinations of high-risk patients to evaluate the loss of specific muscles and subcutaneous body fat to determine the presence of and degree of malnutrition to improve patient outcomes and to positively impact inpatient readmission rates.
• Coordinates site didactic internship program with approved partners. Schedules and onboards dietetic interns. Completes evaluations and provides coaching to internship participants. Ensures internship experience provided by the site meets or exceeds clinical competencies as set forth by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). Communicates regularly with didactic program coordinator to provide feedback on intern performance.
• Reviews and revises clinical nutrition policies and standard works to ensure that they are consistent with current practices. Updates electronic document system to reflect all changes in a timely manner.

Licensure, Registration, and/or Certification Required 

• Dietitian certification issued by the Commission of Dietetic Registration (CDR)  
• Dietitian (RD) registration with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 
• Licensure by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IL only) 
• Certification by the Department of Safety and Professional Services (WI only) 

Education Required 

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree (if CDR registration eligibility is obtained prior to January 1, 2024) or Minimum of Graduate Degree (master’s, practice doctorate, or doctoral) (if initial CDR registration is obtained on or after January 1, 2024) 
• Successful completion of Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)-accredited supervised practice program 

Experience Required: 

A minimum of 5 or more years of clinical and/or leadership experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Excellent organization, decision-making, time management, and problem-solving skills 
• Prior experience in leadership activities or role
• Advanced knowledge in clinical nutrition and Nutrition Focused Physical Exams 

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: 

• Must be able to sit, stand, walk, lift, squat, bend, reach above shoulders and twist frequently during the work shift. 
• Will occasionally be required to lift 25 pounds. 
• Must have functional vision, hearing, speech, and touch. 
• May need to travel between work sites; therefore, may have exposure to weather-related hazards. 
• May need to work remotely and assist other sites as needed. 
• Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job. 
• Exposed to a normal office environment. 

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbents may be required to perform other related duties.