Director of Nutrition and Dietetics

Description

Under general supervision of the Chief Nurse Executive, oversees the delivery of clinical and public health nutrition to patients, families and communities. Responsible for the planning, organizing, directing, reviewing and evaluating of nutrition services. Controls work, addresses personnel related matters, and leads other projects as assigned. Upholds the principles of WIHCC’s Vision, Mission, and Value Statements. Maintains confidentiality of all privileged information at all times.

This list of duties and responsibilities is illustrative only of the tasks performed by this position and is not all-inclusive.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Maintains regular attendance and punctuality.
• Improves staff effectiveness by motivating, coaching, counseling, training and recommending disciplinary action for employees; planning, delegating, monitoring, appraising job tasks and results in a timely manner, and approving time sheets.
• Oversees the supervision of personnel, which includes work allocation, schedules, time approval, hiring, training, orientation, and problem resolution; evaluates performance and makes recommendations for personnel actions; motivates employees to achieve peak productivity and performance.
• Develops measurable performance expectations for assigned staff according to department goals and objectives.

• Lead department and oversee all nutrition and clinical dietetics programs to accomplish departmental and program goals and objectives.  Supervise and support the professional and support staff. 
• Plans for the expansion all community nutrition programs and clinical dietetic programs.
• Plans and adjusts personnel work schedules and program operations to meet department objectives, priorities, deadlines and food production goals. Identify workload capability, staffing, equipment, supply requirements, and problems in meeting work demands and adjusts department operations as needed to improve workflow and provision of services, enhance job satisfaction and increase productivity.
• Creates department and risk management policies and procedures, to comply with accepted standards. Coordinates with other departments concerning matters of work accomplishments.
• Assigns work to employees to achieve satisfactory quantity and quality of work output. Provides instruction, explanation and training in tasks and job techniques. Continually monitors the personnel work output, correct deficiencies, and inform employees of the department policies and procedures.
• Schedules personnel, approves leave requests, creates vacation schedules and monitors time and attendance for department staff.
• Recommends promotions, performance awards and disciplinary actions.
• Recommends and facilitates training for staff to enhance overall knowledge, skills, and abilities
• Supervises and provides internship/residency training for public health /dietetic/nutrition students.
• Monitors the utilization of available financial resources and ensure that adequate monetary controls and budget estimates are based on accurate and applicable data. Plans and justify an annual budget for subsistence, supplies and personnel costs. 
• Evaluates the department’s overall performance, direct performance improvement activities and prepare performance improvement reports.
• Represents department at inter-departmental meetings, on committees, and at Division and WIHCC Leadership meetings
• Represents department when engaging with healthcare organizations, professional organizations, tribal leaders, and government agencies.
• Ensures that appropriate and effective care is provided to all outpatient, inpatients and emergency patients is provided by nutrition team.
• Plans, calculates, modifies, and evaluates diet for inpatients based on physician's diet prescriptions and disease (e,g. diabetes, cardiac, liver and renal disease; gastrointestinal, pediatric malnourishments etc.). Monitors patients for changes in health and recommends dietary change, as needed.
• Assesses nutritional status and recommendations for test are made on patients either by physicians or the incumbent.
• Consults with the medical staff, plan, monitor, and evaluate nutrition support for patients, as needed.
• Educates patients and families on modified diets upon discharge, in outpatient settings and community groups on nutrition topics, as needed.
• Documents all patient care (nutrition assessment, patient progress, education, discharge plans) in the electronic health record medical.
• Evaluates services provided by dietetic personnel to ensure compliance and effectiveness.
• Serves as a nutrition education resource for the medical staff and advise on current research and new approaches to therapeutic nutrition.
• Coordinates with the Food Service Department Manager to ensure the delivery of safe, high quality meals to patients, visitors, staff, and community.
• Assists the Food Service Department with recipe development to ensure high nutrient dense meals are served.
• Conducts monthly sanitation audits of the operating kitchens to ensure food service standards are upkept according to the USDA and Navajo Nation guidelines.
• Provide final approval of, and sign off on, inpatient menus on a quarterly basis, or when new changes are made to the existing menu, prior to food production and meal delivery to patients.
• Works alongside the Director of the Food Service Department by providing nutrition based recommendations to optimize the nutrient quality of the food served on the cafeteria and catering menus
• Ensure that the quality of purchased foods meet established standards.

• Supervises the requisition and maintenance of supplies and equipment for the department.
• Plans, initiates and evaluates programmatic performance improvement activities and maintain quality controls as required for the clinical dietetics service to ensure compliance with applicable standards.
• Plans for service improvement, investigates and resolves problems reported by WIHCC staff and patients.
• Prepares grant proposals to expand programs and services and manage grants.
• Prepares and manages contracts to ensure optimal relationship with department vendors.
• Informs Division Director of anticipated changes in department operations through meetings, reports other or other required communication.
• Ensures all that equipment is properly maintained and repaired, that all related areas are kept in a neat and orderly condition.
• Monitors work areas to ensure that a safe environment is maintained. Adjusts the physical layout of department as feasible and adjust procedures and practices to eliminate safety hazards or minimize risk of injury to personnel.
• Compiles department records, prepares reports (workload, quality, quantity, etc.) for use personnel management, performance improvement, accreditation, budgetary and other purposes.
• Ensures compliance with all healthcare standards and recommendations governing accumulation, indexing, fifing, storage and discarding of records, reports and other material.
• Keeps abreast of new developments in nutrition field by reviewing current literature, viewing demonstrations of new equipment and procedures, and attending professional association meetings. Ensure that the nutrition care manual is accurate and up-to-date

• Upholds all principles of confidentiality and patient care to the fullest extent.
• Adheres to all professional and ethical behavior standards of the healthcare industry.
• Adheres to WIHCCs Personnel Policies and Procedures, departmental policies, rules, and regulations.
• Interacts in an honest, trustworthy and dependable manner with patients, employees, visitors, and vendors.
• Possesses cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Maintains compliance with all Human Resources requirements.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

Master’s degree in nutrition, public health, or health care management/administration. Bachelor's degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent. Completed a didactic program in dietetics accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), formerly known as the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetic Education (CADE). Completed an ACEND accredited or approved supervised practice program. Supervised practice programs are post-baccalaureate degree programs that provide supervised practice experiences which meet the eligibility requirements and accreditation standards of ACEND, formally known as CADE. Completion of a coordinated program in dietetics fulfills the requirements of a supervised practice program. Time spent in a dietetic internship or supervised practice program does not qualify as creditable experience.  Registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) the credentialing branch of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics formerly known as the American Dietetic Association (ADA). Must currently possess a Food Handler’s Card.  Must be ServSafe Food Manager Certified or agree to become ServSafe Food Manager Certified within three months of starting the position. Five years’ experience providing clinical nutrition, public health nutrition and food service management that includes three years in a supervisory position. Six months of computer experience with spreadsheet, database management, and purchasing/materials management software. Bilingual skills in English and Navajo language preferred.  Must maintain a valid unrestricted and insurable driver’s license.  Must successfully pass a background investigation and maintain suitable requirements for a Child Care position. This position is considered as a Child Care position, which requires a satisfactory background check investigation and is subject to the requirements of the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act, as amended (henceforth referred as the ICPFVP Act).

Knowledge, Skills, Ability

•  Knowledge of, and skill in applying, the theories and practices of clinical nutrition and/or food service systems management.
• Knowledge required to serve as a recognized expert on the theories and practices of clinical nutrition and/or food service systems management to provide authoritative advice and coordination of nutrition care programs and resolve complex, controversial, or precedent-setting matters.
• Knowledge of the principles of management required to establish program goals and objectives, set strategic direction, determine and manage budgets to plan and administer a program, coordinate associated activities, evaluate program accomplishments, redefine priorities, and modify objectives.
• Knowledge and ability to apply principles of quantity and quality of cooking and baking.
• Knowledge of food service standards established for the Food Service Department and approved sanitary techniques for the food preparation area.
• Knowledge of kitchen equipment, operation, and maintenance procedures.
• Knowledge of how to estimate food requirements and cooking times.
• Knowledge of safety how to detect unsafe conditions of food and equipment
• Knowledge of strong work ethics in the workplace.
• Knowledge of basic application of confidentiality.
• Knowledge of duties and responsibilities of the position.
• Knowledge of basic computer skills, e.g. Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
• Skill in making decisions on problems presented by subordinate supervisors, team leaders, or other personnel.
• Skill and ability to effectively communicate and advise senior management officials.
• Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations.
• Ability to develop, maintain, and supervise a system of internal reviews and direct quality control and performance improvement studies to assure compliance with various accrediting, regulatory, and agency authorities
• Ability to supervise/manage, plan, organize, delegate, direct, control, and review the activities of groups of subordinates that have diverse functions and establish and monitor productivity standards and production and performance priorities.
• Ability to meet attendance, overtime (if necessary), and other reliability requirements of the job.
• Ability to effectively communicate both in written and verbal.
• Ability to provide exemplary customer service at all times.
• Ability to interact positively with others and possess great interpersonal skills.
• Ability to multitask and perform well under pressure.
• Ability to have self-confidence.
• Ability to be a great team player.
• Ability to accept and learn from supervisor/peer critique.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable to the changing needs of the organization.

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly is required to walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.  The employee frequently is required to stand; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  The employee frequently is required to taste or smell.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.   

Work Environment:

Work is performed in an office setting or kitchen work environment with a moderate noise level.  Work environment may involve exposure to physical risks, such as blood borne pathogens and operating dangerous equipment or working with chemicals.  Work near moving parts and extreme noise, such as kitchen equipment, and will be required to work in a hot environment, such as over and near ovens, cooktops, and open flames and in a cold environment such as in freezer/production prep kitchen areas. Will be exposed to, handle, and work with foods that are commonly classified as allergens, including but not limited to peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, dairy products, seafood, shellfish, and gluten. Evening and/or weekend work may be required.  Extended hours and irregular shifts may be required.

As required by P.L. 93-638, absolute preference will be given to qualified Navajo applicants.  If there is no qualified Navajo applicant, preference will be given to qualified American Indian applicants.