Job Description

Solara Specialty Hospitals Harlingen is a long-term acute care (LTAC) hospital specializing in the treatment of patients recovering from post-intensive care and medically complex conditions. Our hospital provides both intensive care and telemetry-level services, offering advanced monitoring and support for patients requiring extended medical care. With a multidisciplinary team dedicated to personalized treatment plans, we focus on helping patients achieve significant recovery and transition to the next level of care.

Job Summary

Responsible for the planning and implementation of the nutrition care of the patients in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local standards and regulations, clinical guidelines, and policies and procedures. Provides oversight in coordination with the Culinary Services Manager to ensure that safe and accurate food service is provided to the patients. 

Essential Functions

Leadership 

• Completes annual competency testing and maintains professional growth and development to maintain registration and licensure/certification. 
• Performs job based on applicable federal, state, and local regulations, company policies and procedures and evidenced based clinical guidelines. 
• Performs job within defined scope of practice. 
• Participates in the planning of the department budget. 
• Submits capital budget requests to the Controller/CFO. 
• Participates in developing and implementing policies and procedures related to nutritional care of the patient. 
• Participates in the hospital’s Performance Improvement program by conducting aggregating, trending and acting on data for key clinical nutrition indicators. 
• Annual QAPI department plan is developed with mandatory components. Monthly reports are taken to hospital committees as per facility policy. 
• Monitors quality assurance in the kitchen by ensuring quality measures are routinely done; spot checking logs for accuracy, ensures safe sanitary conditions in the kitchen by completing kitchen safety/sanitation audits and test tray audits per policy. 
• Participates in the survey process; instructs staff in matters of conduct and disclosure; always maintains a presence while surveyors are on site and directs the timely collection of information required by the survey team. Undertakes corrective action while survey is in progress if appropriate; works with other hospital departments to develop survey plan of correction as needed. 
• Services on various committees as required by company standards, regulations, and/or appointment by immediate supervisor. 

Direct Patient Care 

• Conducts initial and reassessments on all patients admitted to the hospital. 
• Ensure proper completion of documentation (assessments, care plans, education, discharge planning. 
• Prescribes nutrition therapy to meet estimated needs and monitors tolerance. 
• Provides ongoing reassessment to ensure optimal nutrition therapy is provided. 
• Participates with Interdisciplinary Team meetings to develop, implement, and monitor nutrition care plans. 
• Interviews patients, family members, legal representatives, and/or significant others, and staff to obtain diet history, food preferences, and other pertinent information needed to develop and/or update plan of care. 
• Advocates for patients to protect and promote patients’ rights and accommodate individual needs and cultural/religious preferences. 
• Involves the patient/family in planning objectives and goals for the patient. 
• Conducts nutrition education individually and in classes to patients, families, staff, and community as appropriate. 
• Conducts meal rounds to ensure that patients are receiving therapy that meets patient’s needs. 
• Coordinates with Culinary Service Manager to resolve patients’ concerns or dissatisfactions with diet or meal service. 

Menu Management (if Culinary Services Manager is not a Registered Dietitian, then RD provides the following oversight)

• Monitors Culinary Services Manger’s oversight of the menu management process. 
• Reviews and approves all patient menus in the facility; must approve any substitutions provided to patients. 
• Reviews and approves all nutritional data posted in the café. 
• Provides oversight for the transcription of diet orders in the department to ensure accuracy. 
• Ensures all patient snack orders are checked against the diet order and distributed to patients timely. 
• Provides oversight as needed to assure proper ordering of food and supplies to ensure proper execution of diets and snacks. 
• Provides training to Manager and staff as needed on therapeutic diets and menus, food allergens, or other related topics. 

Other 

• Works cooperatively as a team member with co-workers in all departments of the Hospital.
• Communicates issues, concerns, and opportunities for improvement to immediate supervisor routinely.
• Stays abreast of federal regulations for LTAC’s and food safety, as well as state- regulations for that in which he/she works and incorporates into his/her work as needed.
• Monitor’s industry trends, new products, current research, and new programs in foodservice and incorporates into his/her work as needed. 
• Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and the skills necessary to provide age appropriate. 
• care to the patient population served. 
• Attends all mandatory in-services and staff meetings. 
• Maintains current licensure/certification for position. 
• Consistently follows departmental and hospital Health, Safety, Security and Hazardous Materials policies and procedures. 

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities/Expectations 

• Knowledge of evidenced based clinical nutrition guidelines. 
• Ability to be accurate, concise, and detail-oriented 
• Knowledge of quantity food production, safe food preparation and handling techniques. 
• Basic computer skills with working knowledge of Microsoft Office, word-processing and spreadsheet software. 
• Must read, write and speak fluent English. 
• Must have good and regular attendance. 
• Approximate percent of time required to travel: 0% 
• Performs other related duties as assigned. 

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics, Nutrition, or related field 

Licenses/Certifications

• Registered Dietitian with the Commission on Dietetic Registration ( 
• License and/or certification from the State Licensing Board for Dietitians 

Experience 

• Two years’ experience in acute care hospital preferred. 
• Registered dietitians awaiting approval of State licensure/certification may practice under a Provisional Licensure if the State Licensing board allows.
• Provision dietitians must have all documentation in a medical record co-signed by a state licensed dietitian.
• Experience in acute clinical care, nutrition support, and disease-specific nutrition preferred. 

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