FHW (PACE )-Registered Dietician

About us:

Fallon Health Weinberg is a partnership between Fallon Health of Massachusetts and Weinberg Campus of Erie County, New York. Fallon Health Weinberg offers a Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) to serve the health needs of dual-eligible residents of the Western New York counties of Erie and Niagara.

Fallon Health is a company that cares. We prioritize our members--always-making sure they get the care they need and deserve. Founded in 1977 in Worcester, Massachusetts, we deliver equitable, high-quality coordinated care and are continually rated among the nation's top health plans for member experience, service, and clinical quality. Weinberg Campus has been providing needed services to the elderly for more than 100 years, through both community-based programs and nursing facility care. It is a renowned geriatric education and training institution offering the widest range of housing and care options available on one campus.

At Fallon Health Weinberg, we believe our individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, self-expression and unique capabilities allow us to better serve our members. We embrace and encourage differences in age, race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, socio-economic status and other characteristics that make people unique.

Brief summary of purpose:

The employee in this position is responsible for:

Providing nutritional care and education to Fallon Health Weinberg PACE participants. Evaluating the participant's nutritional status, developing and implementing nutritional care plans, assessing nutrient requirements, recommending nutritional prescriptions, evaluating participant tolerance and effectiveness of nutritional care, and communicating nutritional data and information to the physicians and other health professionals.
• Oversight, approval, and menu planning for Fallon Health Weinberg PACE.

Nature and Scope:

Work is performed under the general supervision of the Clinical Physician and Center Manager. The employee also interacts with and takes direction, at times, from the Program Director and interacts with others in the day center. The employee interacts with staff and managers on a frequent basis and has access to confidential information as necessary to perform job duties. Therefore, the employee is expected to respect the right to privacy and security of PHI (Protected Health Information) and EPHI (Electronic Protected Health Information). Positive and effective interpersonal/communication skills are required and are a high priority in this position.

Major Tasks, Duties and Responsibilities: (*connotes Essential Job Functions)

Note: "Essential functions" are primarily job duties that the employee must be able to perform unassisted or with some reasonable accommodation made by the company

• Conducts initial and periodic assessments (minimally every 6 months). Participates in development of the plan of care. Assessments and plan of care must be completed prior to the scheduled team meeting. Interacts with health care team members, as appropriate, to accomplish these tasks at the day center, nursing home, or participants' homes.*
• Ensures communication of participant changes to team members.*
• Coordination of 24-hour care delivery.*

• Participates in team meetings as scheduled.*
• Coordinates oversight of food service staff.*
• Nutritional counseling for participants and their families on proper nutrition, food selection, and adaptation of therapeutic diet plans to individual lifestyles.*
• Supervises, monitors and maintains special diets and nutritional non-compliance.*
• Provides nutrition education to participants/caregivers as ordered by physician and according to ADA*
• Develops and maintains department policies and procedures including emergency food requirements.*
• Maintains quality documentation of services provided and completes documentation requirements in the medical record.*
• Works directly with medical staff to ensure nutritional needs are incorporated in the medical plan of care as appropriate.*
• Works with Weinberg Campus food service director to prepare menus specifically for PACE Participants.*
• Monitors monthly meal utilization and identifies strategies/procedures to attain budget allocation goals and key measures. Investigates discrepancies and/or causes for increase in utilization and reports findings to program director.*
• Assists with the PACE training of food service for PACE, and provides feed back regarding food service performance to vendor.*
• Participates in educational activities, developing or presenting monthly group classes; developing or selecting/improving educational materials; or presenting in-services to own department or other departments.*
• Monitors programs that ensure regulatory compliance.*
• Monitors and improves standards of practice for both nutritional and food services processes.*
• Ensures the provision of quality meals and snacks that meet the program's needs of PACE Participants.*
• Makes recommendations for home delivered meals.*
• Provides education in regards to nutrition and food service for the Fallon Health Weinberg PACE employees and the community.*
• Responsible for assisting with the operations of the kitchen in compliance with Erie County Health Department requirements.*
• Works on projects for the department, small or large, as appropriate; participates in department quality improvement activities and monthly reporting. Is a member of the Quality Management Committee.*

Job Requirements: (all essential functions)

Note: Occasionally = if the activity is required 1-33% of the time

Frequently = if the activity is required 34-66% of the time

Constantly = if the activity is required 66-100%of the time

• Able to frequently deal with and relate to frail elderly and/or handicapped persons with an emphasis on maximizing independence.
• Able to occasionally work with people from various socio-cultural backgrounds in an effective manner.
• Able to constantly communicate and listen effectively in a team setting and individually.
• Able to constantly establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.
• Able to constantly plan and supervise the work of others.
• Able to occasionally accept and utilize guidance.
• Able to maneuver constantly throughout the kitchen, day center, clinic, and participants homes.
• Able to respond to individuals' spoken needs constantly.
• Able to read, and understand/interpret a variety of correspondence, written materials, data, and policies and procedures constantly.
• Able to retrieve and distribute printed materials, push, pull and/or lift packages, files, boxes etc. weighing up to 15 pounds on a frequent basis.
• Able to open/close vertical or lateral filing cabinets, desk drawers, etc. on an occasional basis.
• Able to concentrate on detailed and complicated matters on a frequent basis with occasional interruptions.
• Able to comprehend oral instructions and remember the same in detail on a constant basis.
• Able to proofread typed material for contextual, grammatical, typographical or spelling errors, on a frequent basis.
• Able to cope with and work in a fast paced (frequent) and sometimes high stress (occasional) work environment
• Able to occasionally travel to meet the needs of the position.

Educational Requirements:

• High school diploma required.
• Baccalaureate or advanced degree from an accredited college with major studies in food and nutrition or dietetics required.
• Registered by the ADA required as a Registered Dietician.

Experience

• Four years of progressively more responsible work experience with at least three years of management duties required preferred.
• Minimum of one year of experience working with the frail elderly population required.
• Only act within the scope of his or her authority to practice. Meet a standardized set of competencies for the specific position description established by Fallon Health Weinberg PACE and approved by CMS before working independently.

Immunizations:

• Be medically cleared for communicable diseases and have all immunizations up-to-date before engaging in direct participant contact.

Working Conditions/Environment:

• Mental/Visual Demand and Physical Effort:
  • Flow of work frequently produces a high level of mental or physical fatigue.
  • Work performed under pressure or deadline and requires attention to detail.
• Environment:
• • Potential for exposure to odors, fumes or infections.

Fallon Health provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.