Clinical Dietitian II - Outpatient and Food Assistance

Description

Become part of an inclusive organization with over 40,000 teammates, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of the unique communities we serve.

*This position qualifies for a $5,000 Commitment Incentive paid over a two (2) year period.*

Summary:

The Clinical Dietitian II collaborates closely with the multidisciplinary care team to provide evidence-based medical nutrition therapy aligned with patient-centered health goals. This role is integrated within the interdisciplinary clinical teams at The UNC Family Medicine Center and partners with the operational program team for UNC Hospitals' food assistance initiative, FoodWell, to advance health equity by improving food access and supporting patients experiencing food insecurity.

Family Medicine is a full-service primary care specialty that provides health care for individuals and families over the course of their lives. The Clinical Dietitian II will collaborate with providers to care for children as they grow, and care for adult patients and families as they age, offering specialized nutritional guidance for toddlers, children, teens, adults, and older adults. The Clinical Dietitian II will also support prenatal and family-centered maternity care.

FoodWell is a food assistance program that supports patients and families experiencing food insecurity by providing supplemental food resources and connecting them to community services across inpatient and outpatient settings, empowering them with the knowledge and tools needed for long-term food security and improved well-being while strengthening their self-sufficiency at home.

Primary responsibilities include applying the Nutrition Care Process by conducting nutrition-focused physical exams, assessing for malnutrition, establishing nutrition diagnoses, and delivering targeted interventions with ongoing monitoring and evaluation. The Clinical Dietitian II uses practice-specific dietetics and evidence-based guidelines to guide nutrition care, incorporates social determinants of health into assessments and care planning, manages resources efficiently, and contributes to compliance and quality improvement efforts. This role serves as a key member of the multidisciplinary team, providing expertise in nutrition management, participating in meetings and committees, and offering nutrition-related education.

The role supports the coordination and expansion of hospital-based food assistance initiatives, coordinating program activities, tracking progress, and facilitating team collaboration to enhance the impact and reach of services for patients experiencing food insecurity.

Responsibilities:
1.The Clinical Dietitian II provides professional outpatient nutrition consultations via telehealth and in-person at UNC Hospitals clinics. Responsibilities include assessing nutritional needs, identifying nutrient requirements based on age, disease, and individual factors, and demonstrating clinical and age-specific competency. The role develops, implements, and monitors nutrition care plans, participates in care coordination, delivers education using behavior change techniques, and documents all aspects of nutrition care in the medical record.

2.Ensures compliance with regulatory and accrediting agency standards through timely completion of clinical nutrition documentation, chart audits, and participation in organizational surveys. Supports adherence to Joint Commission, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program, and other standards to continuously improve patient safety, quality of care, and organizational performance.

3.Serves as a resource for the clinical team, coordinating with team members and acting as a liaison with other medical specialties and ancillary services. Participates in medical rounds, patient care conferences, and staff education. Develops and updates evidence-based protocols and trains team members to ensure nutrition recommendations meet patients' needs and current guidelines. Identifies professional development needs, mentors colleagues, and serves as a preceptor for interns as assigned.

4.Participates in quality improvement initiatives as pertains to the clinical practice area. Leads efforts to continually understand and measure the quality of the clinical area practice in terms of structures, processes, content, and outcomes. Designs and tests interventions to change processes and systems of specialty practice areas with the objective of improving quality outcomes. Serves on cross-functional quality teams.

5.Develops program plans, goals, and initiatives for the hospital-based food assistance program, working independently and collaboratively to achieve objectives. Creates valuable resources to address patient food insecurity, identifies potential challenges, and helps develop strategies to resolve them proactively. Determines needed resources, establishes methods to measure outcomes, and maintains strong working relationships across program units.

6.Supports the food assistance program by interfacing with departments across the entity, effectively communicating strategies, garnering support, and assisting with implementation. Contributes to ongoing refinement, improvement, and expansion of the program across inpatient and outpatient settings.

Education Requirements:
* Bachelor's degree at a US regionally accredited university or college and course work accredited or approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
* Master's in related Dietitian field for new graduates becoming licensed after 1/1/2024.
* Completion of a Coordinated Program in Dietetics or Dietetic Internship accredited by ACEND (Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics) of no less than 900 hours (1200 hours for graduates of programs beginning 2012)
Licensure/Certification Requirements:
* Registered Dietitian (RD) by The Commission of Dietetic Registration (CDR)
* Licensed as a Dietitian/Nutritionist (LDN) by the North Carolina Board of Dietetics and Nutrition. (Certain positions may allow licensure to be obtained within one (1) month from date of hire).
* If less than five (5) years of experience, certification in area of clinical specialty (e.g., CDCES, CNSC, CNSD, CSR, CSP, CSSD, CSGN, CLE, BCLE, etc.) or advanced degree or approved to practice in specialized roles where certification does not exist is required. (Certain positions may allow specialty certification to be obtained within six (6) months from date of hire or next offered exam date for those who have obtained educational preparation for certification.)
* Some positions may require appropriate credentialing for billing purposes (e.g., NPI, Medicare/Medicaid Provider, BCBSNC Provider) to be obtained within one (1) month from date of hire.
* Some positions may require maintenance of certification (e.g. CDCES) for billing purposes.
Professional Experience Requirements:
* Three (3) years as an RD with two (2) of those years' experience in area of clinical specialty or three (3) years nutrition experience in a tertiary care, teaching hospital and certification in specialty area is required. or Five (5) years of experience as an RD Must maintain certification until RD has at least 5 years of experience (or longer if required for certain positions i.e. Nutrition Support Team) or have at least five (5) years of experience as an RD.
Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:
*Knowledge of the Nutrition Care Process and ability to apply all steps of the process.

* Comprehensive knowledge and application of medical nutrition therapy.

* Understands and can implement Motivational Interviewing

* Critical thinking to integrate facts, informed opinion, active listening, and observations.

* Decision making, problem solving, and collaboration.

* Ability to communicate effectively in both written and verbal form to patients, public, hospital and medical staff, and physicians.

* Ability to function independently on assigned patient care units.

* Ability to counsel and educate others.

* General knowledge of nutrient analysis, word processing, and spreadsheet software.

Legal Employer: STATE

Entity: UNC Medical Center

Organization Unit: Outpatient Nutrition Services

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Salary Range:$26.59 - $38.23 per hour (Hiring Range)

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Onsite

Work Schedule: Day Job

Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: Yes

This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.