The Registered Dietitian performs professional work involved in ensuring patients' needs are met and providing appropriate, evidence-based, medical nutrition therapy. This role provides comprehensive nutrition assessments and high-priority nutrition counseling services to participants of Mountain Park Health Center (MPHC) according to federal guidelines, rules, and regulations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Provides medical nutrition therapy to patients.
• Obtains nutrition/dietary histories of patients on referral, records and analyzes findings, evaluates the patient’s dietary and nutritional needs, in consultation with clinical staff, suggests changes as indicated; at appropriate intervals re-evaluates the patient’s dietary/nutritional needs.
• Plans educational programs and curricula which include:
• Creates and implements the educational program for patients: prepares, reviews, and uses a variety of audio-visual materials.
• Participates in MPHC and community health fairs when invited as scheduling permits.
• May initiate nutrition studies as appropriate.
• May be placed in sub-specialized roles based on patients' needs.
• Attends in-house staff meetings/committee meetings.
• Knowledge of nutrition and dietary principles.
• Able to apply this knowledge in providing high-quality nutritional care. (UNSURE)
• Participate and complete clinical quality reviews as needed.
• Apply knowledge of the relationship between nutrition and disease.
• Ability to explain this relationship to patients at an appropriate level, recommend relevant dietary changes.
• Set self-management goals with the patient and do follow-ups as needed.
• Completing clinical notes in an accurate and timely manner. Performs other duties as assigned. Medical Nutrition Therapy
• Obtains diet and related medical/personal history.
• Assesses the patient's nutritional needs and determines the approach most likely to achieve compliance.
• Evaluates nutrient adequacy of current diet and makes appropriate recommendations.
• Provides dietary education at the patient’s level of understanding.
• Communicates with clinical staff when indicated.
• Includes a summary of Medical Nutrition Therapy in the patient’s medical chart.
• Provides follow-up evaluation through office visits or nutrition classes. Patient/Group Education
• Plans and implements nutrition education programs for patients.
• Includes written objectives, appropriate content, teaching methods, and materials.
• Evaluates objectives and revise curriculum as necessary.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS/ MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university in Human Nutrition, Food Science, Public Health, or a related field.
• Must be an RDN (or Registration eligible) with the American Dietetic Association.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bilingual (Spanish/English, Somali/English).
• Experience in community nutrition, counseling low-income, high-risk patients of specific dietary needs.