I. POSITION FUNCTION SUMMARY

Under the direct supervision of the Health Equity Associate Director, the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Dietitian oversees a variety of professional assignments to improve the diet, nutrition, and health of HICHC WIC participants. The WIC Local Agency Coordinator (LAC) is a supervisory level position, in which she/he coordinates and manages the staffing and programming of WIC and ensures high quality WIC services are provided to eligible women, infants and children throughout the service area. The WIC Dietitian holds the same supervisory level and responsibilities as the WIC LAC and additionally provides direct dietitian services to women and children who need specialized nutrition plans.

The WIC Dietitian supervises nutrition services staff, including CPA’s, HICHC-West Nutrition Aides and other staff involved in the nutrition assessment or delivery of nutrition services.

The WIC Dietitian partners with organizations working with the WIC population to make appropriate referrals and to enhance the program. The WIC Dietitian must be able to effectively follow the State of Hawaiʻi Policy & Procedures for nutrition education and distribution of WIC benefits which include assessing risk, assigning proper codes, and providing patient-centered services.

II. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

This position may have various work assignments within HICHC and HICHC WIC. This description is intended to be generic in nature, and as such it does not detail all duties and responsibilities of the job assignment. Various duties, responsibilities and accountabilities may be assigned to an incumbent in this position depending on program needs, and may include but not be limited to the following:

Local Agency Coordinator

• Defines job roles and responsibilities, sets work expectations, including daily work activities, patient caseload, staff workload, and ensures accountability of team members.
• Supports Human Resources with interviewing and hiring staff; trains, coaches and mentors a high performing team; and supports skills, personal and career development within the team.
• Issues performance evaluations in alignment with HICHC and State guidelines: provides constructive feedback and affirms employee's strengths; provides guidance and administers crucial conversations and corrective actions (with approval from HR) and ensures employee relations issues are handled legally and within State and HICHC guidelines/policy.
• The WIC LAC will practice cultural inclusivity in the delivery of nutrition programming and possess an understanding of how social-cultural issues impact nutrition and health behaviors.
• Provides professional public health nutrition services; assesses clients' nutritional status across the life span; consults with health care providers regarding clients' nutritional needs; makes appropriate referrals, and other primary care providers.
• Interprets federal and state WIC programming needs to HICHC management team.
• Monitors and manages WIC budget in partnership with finance team and direct supervisor.
• Communicates regularly with State and HICHC teams to ensure fidelity to the WIC model.
• Oversees WIC data and reporting.
• Performs various administrative duties to facilitate WIC operations; orders pamphlets, forms, and other materials used by WIC personnel; maintains the programs physical inventory of equipment and supplies for patients and staff.
• Oversees the development and implementation of a Quality Assurance Plan and Quality Improvement Plan.

Registered Dietitian / Competent Professional Authorities (CPA’s)

• Participates in the development of the local agency nutrition education and breastfeeding promotion and support plan.
• Oversees food and formula prescriptions and coordinates with medical providers as appropriate.
• Provides nutrition in-service training to other local agency staff who provide nutrition services to participants.
• Coordinates nutrition services with other WIC Program operations, local agencies, and community organizations.
• Stays abreast of trends and developments in public health nutrition including but not limited to pre/perinatal, breastfeeding, infant, and early childhood nutrition.
• Assesses and documents a participant’s nutrition risk (s).
• Prescribes food packages.
• Provides nutrition education, including breastfeeding promotion and support that is responsive to the identified needs/interests of each participant.
• Identifies the need for individual care plans.
• Refers participants to other health and social services and provides appropriate follow-up to referrals.
• Implements individual care plans for low-and high-risk participants.
• Documents nutrition services provided, including referrals and follow-up to referrals.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

III. POSITION SPECIFICATION

Requirements of Position

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience

• Master’s Degree in nutrition or public health nutrition from an accredited school or is a Registered Dietitian that is registered, or eligible for registration with the American Dietetic Association.
• Knowledge of nutritional needs of pregnant, post-partum and breastfeeding women, infants and children.
• Understanding of local community resources and social services and agencies that work with women and children.
• Must possess level of knowledge, skill, and ability necessary to perform essential job duties.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• This position requires a self-starter who can work independently and use sound judgment to solve problems in a variety of situations (e.g., conflict resolution with clients/patients, community members) without readily available supervision.
• Works collaboratively with other HICHC programs and partner agencies.
• Ability to effectively supervise off-site subordinate staff members; provide follow-up and documentation of supervisory sessions. This position is responsible for accurate and timely preparation of required grant and program needs.
• Must be sympathetic and compassionate to the client’s issues, while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Able to travel to and from clinic locations, with a valid driver's license, working vehicle and current insurance.
• Good communication skills and a positive attitude.
• Must be able to work as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Ability to prioritize and balance tasks in a high paced environment, with autonomy.
• Problem solving skills—the individual identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner, gathers and analyzes information skillfully and utilizes management appropriately
• Emotionally stable, sensitive and mature with the ability to deal with various people effectively.
• Technological aptitudes - the individual is adept at utilizing Microsoft Office applications, video teleconferencing platforms, and is able to learn new skills in adjacent electronic documentation systems.

Personal Characteristics

Personal characteristics include: being a team player, self-starter working well with minimal supervision, high integrity, good personal habits, regular work attendance, courteous and friendly, able to work well with diverse groups of people, organization of multiple tasks and projects, and gain and maintain respect of others, both inside and outside HICHC and the communities it serves.

Confidential and Sensitive Information

Because the employee has access to personal and professional data regarding individual employees and their families, personal data regarding individual patients and the families, and/or sensitive company financial data, an essential job result is the maintenance of a high level of confidentiality of the information processed by the employee. Violation of this confidence may result in disciplinary action, including termination of employment.

IV. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS/WORKING CONDITIONS

General Remarks: The work environment described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential tasks and functions.

Environment: The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. There are no known environmental hazards on the premises. Work environment is often stressful. Work is mostly inside, and normal office worker safety precautions and practices are required. Incumbent will be exposed to patients' conditions and some-unpleasant sights, smells and contagious diseases including virus, disease and infection from patients and specimens in working environment. All employees are offered the opportunity to receive vaccinations.

OSHA: This position performs tasks that involve exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissues; normal medical safety precautions and practices are required.

Work Hours: Incumbent will be scheduled based on operational need. This position is exempt under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is not subject to the policies and procedures pertaining to overtime hours and premium pay. The foregoing position description is not all-inclusive of the duties that may be assigned to the employee. In order to ensure maximum flexibility and efficiency and to encourage cross training, employees will be assigned additional duties as deemed necessary or desirable by HICHC.

Mental Demands: Duties require attention to detail, alertness, problem solving, tolerance to stress and exercising sound judgment. Duties require high tolerance and adequate coping skills for dealing with loss, grief and bereavement. Good stress reduction and management skills are essential.

V. REMARKS

The foregoing position description is not all-inclusive of the duties that may be assigned to the employee. To ensure maximum flexibility and efficiency and to encourage cross training, employees will be assigned additional duties as deemed necessary or desirable by HICHC.