Lead Dietician Full Time

Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center has been an integral part of the lives of people throughout Darlington County and the surrounding areas for over 20 years. Our 116-bed hospital offers a full range of inpatient, outpatient and emergency room services to a service area totaling over 125,000 individuals. We are dually accredited by the Joint Commission and Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program (HFAP), a Primary Stroke Center, an Accredited Chest Pain Center, and a Blue Distinction Maternity Center. We are committed to continuing to be a trusted provider of quality care, close to home, for generations to come.

At Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center, we recognize that our patients deserve qualified, engaged, and competent healthcare professionals. And we know that our employees deserve a working environment that is safe, leaders who are visible and supportive, and opportunities to grow and develop. We have a positive, hopeful, and resilient leadership team that is solely focused on taking care of the heart of Carolina Pines – the people who work here. If you feel that your skills and compassion fit with our vision for person-centered care and evidence-based practice, and you would like to belong to a hospital family that only the best are invited to join, we invite you to apply today. 

The Lead Dietician is responsible to direct the functions of clinical nutrition services (such as nutrition assessment, nutrition counseling/consultation, performance  improvement), and the management of the clinical nutrition team to ensure high quality nutritional care is provided to patients/resident.  Ensures patient satisfaction, quality care, regulatory agency compliance, and good public relations are achieved through the safe and efficient use of resources.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Clinical Nutrition Staff

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:    

• 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 nutritional assessment and interpretation of laboratory values.
• Develops, revises and individualizes nutrition care plan based on information from the patient, medical record, family and health care team members. 
• Makes recommendations for patient care based upon guidelines as outlined in the current diet manual.
• Incorporates current evidence-based research into practice.
• 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.
• 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.
• Develops and directs programs/services in an organized, collaborative, and customer-centered manner.  Participates in or develops process for ordering privileges required for expanded roles and enhanced activities consistent with federal and state practice acts.
• Establishes goals and oversees implementation of clinical nutrition care based upon facility’s medical direction and patient population.
• Hires, leads, directs, coaches, trains, and develops clinical nutrition team members in collaboration with the Clinical Nutrition Manager/Assistant Director Clinical & Patient Services/Director of Nutrition Systems or Director Food & Nutrition Services.
• Fosters team work and establishes effective strategies to implement innovative programs which leads to optimal clinical nutrition and financial outcomes.       
• Evaluates clinical team staff according to departmental policy and takes appropriate action as necessary.
• Monitors competence, productivity and documentation accuracy of clinical staff utilizing necessary tools and resources.
• Assigns and directs the workload of the clinical nutrition staff.         
• Evaluates and coordinates hospital nutrition formulary.                                  
• Oversees systems and processes to ensure the strategic and operational objectives of the client for the department are met.
• Complies with federal, state and local health and sanitation regulations and department sanitation procedures.                                                                                      
• Complies with regulatory standards, including federal, state and accrediting agencies.
• Completes all required documentation, reports and logs in a timely, professional and thorough manner.                                                                                                        
• Plans modified menus based on current diet manual in collaboration with the Clinical Nutrition Manager/Director, Nutrition Systems/Assistant Director Clinical & Patient Services, and/or Director, Food & Nutrition Services.
• Visits patients on assigned nursing unit(s) and directs clinical staff to help meet the goal that every patient is visited by a member of the management or professional team at least once during their hospital stay.
• Ensures clinical staff’s assistance in achieving patient satisfaction goals.
• Participates in facility-wide and directs departmental Quality Assurance/Performance Improvement (QAPI) Program and participates on QAPI teams to improve processes and patient care.   
• Communicates facility, department, Morrison Healthcare/TouchPoint and Compass information at staff meetings, group presentations and through written memos.      
• Participates in departmental meetings, staff development, and professional programs, as appropriate.
• Participates in meetings where departmental goals are established and implements assigned action plan to achieve expected outcomes.   
• Reads, customizes and enforces compliance with all policies and procedures of the facility, Morrison Healthcare/TouchPoint and Compass as appropriate.
• Projects and practices consistent ownership attributes, which provide a high level of customer service at all points of contact.                     
• Complies with Morrison Healthcare’s/TouchPoint’s production, safe handling and quality food standards related to patient food and clinical nutrition areas.  
• Maintains a clean, sanitary working environment.                                      
• Follows facility, department, Morrison Healthcare/TouchPoint and Compass safety policies and procedures to include occurrence reporting.
• Follows facility and department infection control policies and procedures.
• Adheres to facility confidentiality, HIPAA and patient rights policies.
• 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.
• Responds to utility failures per department policy.
• Performs other tasks that may be assigned.     

Education and Experience:        

One (1) year of experience in healthcare as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, preferred.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: 

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (Commission on Dietetic Registration).  State Licensure, as required