The Clinical Dietitian serves as the Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) Nutrition Specialist Dietitian for Northern Arizona Health Care System (NAVAHCS), as well as serves as a member of the interdisciplinary HBPC treatment team which is a specialized program under the administration of Nutrition and Food Service Line, and provides direct services to adult and geriatric Veterans enrolled in the Prescott, Cottonwood, Flagstaff and/or Kingman locations.

Duties

The Dietitian is responsible for providing professional guidance and education in the medical nutrition care of HBPC patients for nursing and allied health. This is accomplished in collaboration with other members of the HBPC team or other interdisciplinary treatment teams as appropriate (i.e. Specialty Clinics, CLC Units, Primary Clinics, etc.).Patients served under the HBPC Program typically are those who have impaired mobility due to disability or functional limitation, inability to cope with the clinic environment due to cognitive, physical or psychiatric impairment, and the need for frequent coordinated interventions from multiple disciplines. The duties of a clinical dietitian include, but are not limited to: Conducts comprehensive nutrition assessments using the Nutritional Care Process (NCP), including nutrition focused physical examinations, to establish a nutrition diagnosis and determine risk and/or degree of malnutrition. Develops and implements Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to address the nutrition diagnosis, evaluates and monitors the effectiveness and outcomes of MNT interventions. Modifies the plan as needed to achieve positive patient outcomes. Calculates nutrient requirements and necessary diet restrictions or food and drug interactions tailoring the diet prescription to each individual patient. Documents MNT in the medical record using the Assessment, Diagnosis, Intervention, Monitoring, Evaluation (ADIME) format. Functions independently and accurately when record keeping. Identifies patients in need of nutritional support and recommends the appropriate mode of support and communicates appropriately with the health care team. Actively participates in formal and informal interdisciplinary team meetings. Assesses educational needs and provides nutrition education/counseling for individuals and groups that is tailored to the Veteran(s). Utilizes virtual care technology to improve access to care. Maintains productivity standards. Maintains accurate record keeping of daily clinical activities and completes patient encounters using approved systems. Ensures continuous improvement of safe and quality care of Veterans. Leads activities in the implementation of new initiatives. Uses data in the development of measures, data evaluation, and initiation of corrective actions. Complies with The Joint Commission requirements and other accrediting agency standards to ensure safe and quality patient care. Collaborates with the Food Operations Section and department leadership to enhance the Veterans' dining experience, support patient satisfaction, and serve as a liaison between clinical units and the Food Operations Section. May perform other related duties as assigned which are appropriate for this grade and assignment. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 07:00AM to 03:30PM Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PD000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.) English Language Proficiency. Dietitians must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d). Registration/Certification: Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) or Registered Dietitian (RD) - Must be 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). Certification must be submitted at the time of application. Current VHA Dietitians that qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision may not be promoted to a higher grade if they do not meet the current RDN/RD requirements. Grade Determinations: GS-11 (Full Performance Level): Completion of at least one (1) year of experience as a registered dietitian equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09), or education equivalent to 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education, or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited university or college in the field of dietetics or closely related field. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. In addition, the candidate MUST demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of best practices in the dietetics profession and in scientific literature, including knowledge of research methods, study design, data collection, interpretation of findings, and translation of results into nutrition practice. Ability to comply with various accrediting, regulatory, and agency authorities. Ability to develop and maintain a system of internal reviews and direct quality control and performance improvement studies. Knowledge of computer software programs relative to food service systems. Knowledge of the principles and practices of nutrition care and the treatment of complex cases in clinical settings in order to develop, implement and coordinate best practices in the dietetics profession (e.g. assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring and evaluation). Knowledge of best practices in areas of clinical nutrition and the ability to apply nutrition interventions to patients with multiple co-morbidities. Ability to act as a consultant for health care providers including registered dietetic technicians, dietetic interns, nurses, physicians, medical students, and allied health professionals. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G20 Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary and does not require special physical demands. However, there may be walking, prolonged standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, pushing, and lifting up to 45 lbs. Normal safety precautions and practices are required for working in a healthcare environment. This position requires emotional ability to deal effectively with multi-tasking and high volume of patient flow. For additional guidance, please refer to VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

ACEND accredited programs are located on the ACEND website or at ACEND Accredited Programs Directory.

Contacts

• Address Bob Stump VA Medical Center 500 Highway 89 North Prescott, AZ 86313 US
• Name: Jennie Chong
• Phone: 5628268000
• Email: [email protected]