Advanced Specialty Dietitian

Overview

Central Health is dedicated to improving the health of our community by caring for those who need it most. Serving a diverse population—many living at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level—this role supports patients with significant medical and social complexity, including chronic disease and food insecurity.

The Advanced Specialty Dietitian provides comprehensive medical nutrition therapy to adult patients across a growing range of specialty services. This role focuses on delivering high-quality, patient-centered nutrition assessment, education, and care for individuals with complex, multi-system conditions, while addressing the impact of social determinants of health.

Working as part of an interdisciplinary care team, the dietitian plays a key role in advancing equitable care through individualized counseling, group education, and program development. This position also supports initiatives aimed at reducing malnutrition and improving access to nutritious food, while contributing to the expansion and evolution of specialty services at Central Health.  The role includes opportunities to teach and mentor learners at various stages of training, including students and dietetic interns, as programs continue to grow. The ideal candidate is mission-driven, committed to reducing barriers to care, and brings a collaborative, team-based approach to caring for medically and socially complex populations.

This position is required to be on-site.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

• Evaluate the dietary and lifestyle needs of the patient, collaborate with the patient to develop, and implement a plan, and document all pertinent information into the patient’s electronic medical record.
• Applies principles of data collection and basic research methodology for accurate information to deliver to patients, without errors or distortions.
• Implement and monitor quality control programs related to project assignments as needed.
• Performs physical exams and malnutrition assessments for the betterment of the patients accurately in the electronic charting system, provide food insecurity resources according to patient needs.
• Train patients with enteral access on proper delivery and management of optimal nutrition support.
• Educate patients on food selection to maintain and promote health as well as to prevent and manage disease states and associated comorbidities within specialty provisions offered.
• Participate in or manage special projects/programs, as programs initiate/expand/or complete.
• Assist the Education Materials design as specified with attention to detail, while considering the needs of the patients, as per the Central Health Education Policies and procedures.
• Lead and direct the medical weight loss classes based of the classes schedule and patient registration.
• Assist the Metabolic Clinic with clinical support visits as needed, assist with metabolic with project design and management as needed.
• Precepts dietetic interns as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to complete anthropometric measurement, interpret biochemical markers, identify clinical signs and symptoms, identify deficits in diet and/or environment and offer corrective plans and appropriate referrals to other departments as needed.
• High level of skill at building relationships with both other professionals and customers and excellent customer service.
• Moderate to advanced computer systems knowledge, including but not limited to Microsoft Office products like word, excel, and the use of electronic medical records: Epic, Compass.
• Ability to apply interpretations of federal, state, and local regulations regarding medical nutrition therapy.
• Complex problem solving skills for triaging Pt's medical needs for the specialty physicians services.
• Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy knowledge to create documents, provide education and design interventions that are accurate, research based, and error-free.
• Having a prospective eye for procedure improvement.
• Ability to make complex concepts simple for patients to understand without providing excessive detail.
• High level of skill at removing barriers for patient care: limitations of finances, literacy, and identifying the importance of honoring cultural values.
• Proficient in speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish (preferred)
• Ability to drive a vehicle and travel to various clinic locations as needed.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Nutrition or Dietetics required.
• Master's Degree in Nutrition, Dietetics, or related field preferred.

Licenses/Certifications:

• Registered Dietician (RD) from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) required.
• Current license in the state of Texas as a Licensed Dietitian (LD) required.
• Current Health Care Provider Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification through American Heart Association or American Red Cross required.

Work Experience:

• Three (3) years working experience as a registered dietitian in a clinical or community setting with specialized medical care (neurology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, cardiology, nephrology, pulmonology, and/or wound care) required.
• Experience in individual and group education setting, Program Development preferred. 
• Proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish preferred.