Dietitian - Nutrition Therapy

This is a salaried Exempt role - Monday through Friday.

Join the Team Voted Best Place to Work in North County!

Why Work for Gary and Mary West PACE?

Because you're looking for more than just a job - you want work/life balance and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the lives of North County seniors and their families.

At Gary and Mary West PACE, we support your personal and professional well-being with:

Generous pay and a comprehensive benefits package focused on your health and wellness.

11 paid holidays, 16 days of PTO, and 5 days of sick time.

A 5% employer match to our 403(b) retirement plan.

No on-call time - because your time matters.

We invest in our team with an annual education allowance and a commitment to professional growth, helping you expand your skills and advance your career.

You'll thrive in a supportive, mission-driven culture where collaboration feels like family. As part of our multi-disciplinary team, your voice is heard, and your work is truly valued.

Join us and do your best work-because here, your contribution matters.

About PACE
Philanthropists Gary and Mary West founded West Health with the mission of enabling seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life, and independence. The Gary and Mary West PACE (Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly), affiliated with West Health ( is a non-profit that delivers medical, social, and behavioral services to the frail elderly to the North County of San Diego. This PACE center is entrepreneurial in nature and focuses on innovations and bringing new processes to the traditional PACE environment.

We're looking for passionate healthcare providers who want to be part of a team dedicated to enable seniors to live in their communities as independently as possible by providing compassionate, comprehensive health and supportive care.

One Team One Mission
Position Summary
Under the direction of the Dietary Supervisor, the Registered Dietitian is responsible for providing comprehensive nutrition services to participants enrolled in the PACE program. The Registered Dietitian performs comprehensive nutrition assessments and reassessments, develops and monitors individualized nutrition care plans, and collaborates with the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) to optimize participants' nutritional status and overall health. This position provides clinical expertise in medical nutrition therapy, therapeutic diets, nutrition counseling, and participant education while ensuring compliance with applicable PACE, CMS, state, and organizational standards. The Registered Dietitian also oversees dietary operations, monitors food service quality and sanitation, supports regulatory compliance, and promotes high-quality nutrition services that enable frail older adults to remain safe living in the community.

Essential Functions

Serve as a member of the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT), participating in care planning meetings and collaborating with team members to develop, implement, monitor, and revise participant-centered plans of care.

Conduct comprehensive nutrition assessments for all participants upon enrollment, annually, with significant changes in condition, and as otherwise indicated, document findings in accordance with organizational policies and regulatory requirements.

Develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate individualized nutrition care plans, including physician-ordered therapeutic diets and nutrition interventions.

Monitor participants' nutritional status, food and fluid intake, weight trends, laboratory values, and tolerance of prescribed diets; communicate concerns and recommendations to the IDT in a timely manner.

Assess the need for oral nutritional supplements, recommend appropriate products, and monitor effectiveness.

Evaluate participants' ability to access and prepare food safely in the home; coordinate with the IDT regarding meal preparation assistance, grocery shopping, home-delivered meals, sack lunches, and other nutritional support services.

Collaborate with home care staff and other service providers regarding participants' meal preparation skills, kitchen safety, food availability, hydration, and nutritional intake within the home environment.

Participate in wound care rounds, family conferences, care planning meetings, and other interdisciplinary meetings to provide nutrition-related recommendations.

Provide nutrition counseling and education to participants, caregivers, families, and staff regarding disease management, therapeutic diets, food safety, hydration, and healthy nutrition practices.

Oversee and monitor center meal service to ensure menus meet nutritional requirements, physician orders, participant preferences, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

Monitor the adequacy of participant meals, snacks, supplements, and therapeutic diet modifications to ensure nutritional needs are met.

Maintain and update nutrition-related resources, including therapeutic diet lists, supplement records, feeding guides, and sack lunch documentation.

Monitor inventory levels of food, supplements, and dietary supplies; coordinate purchasing and maintain effective working relationships with food service vendors and suppliers.

Ensure dietary operations comply with food safety, sanitation, infection prevention, and regulatory standards, including applicable OSHA, CDC, local health department, and PACE requirements.

Provide oversight of Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) compliance, including meal pattern requirements, documentation, monitoring, and related reporting.

Participate in Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) activities, quality initiatives, audits, and performance improvement projects related to nutrition services.

Provide oversight of dietary aides and kitchen operations to ensure quality meal service, regulatory compliance, and efficient departmental operations.

Foster positive working relationships with participants, families, caregivers, vendors, contracted providers, and members of the interdisciplinary team through professional and respectful communication.

Maintain confidentiality of participant health information and organizational information in accordance with HIPAA and company policies.

Attend and actively participate in required meetings, committees, in-service education, training programs, and continuing education activities.

Support and adhere to all organizational policies, procedures, compliance standards, and safety programs.

Demonstrate flexibility to meet participant and operational needs, including adjusting work schedules, as necessary.

Will require is of personal vehicle for work-related travel between participant homes, contracted facilities, and other locations as required.

Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Education and Certification

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Nutrition, Dietetics, Food and Nutrition, or closely related field.

Current registration as a Registered Dietitian (RD or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) through the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) required.

Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

Current driver's license and proof of auto insurance required.

Skills and Experience

Minimum of one (1) year of experience providing clinical nutrition services to frail older adults, geriatric populations, or individuals with chronic and complex medical conditions; experience in a PACE program or other interdisciplinary healthcare setting preferred.

Demonstrated knowledge of clinical nutrition, medical nutrition therapy, therapeutic diets, nutrition assessment, and evidence-based nutrition interventions for older adults.

Ability to perform comprehensive nutrition assessments, develop individualized nutrition care plans, and evaluate participant outcomes.

Knowledge of age-related disease processes, nutrition support, wound healing, diabetes management, dysphagia, weight management, and other nutrition-related conditions commonly seen in the geriatric population.

Working knowledge of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) regulations and documentation requirements.

Knowledge of applicable CMS PACE regulations, food safety and sanitation standards, infection prevention practices, and HIPAA requirements preferred.

Proficiency in medical terminology and electronic health record (EHR) documentation, with the ability to complete accurate, timely, and legally compliant clinical documentation.

Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to effectively educate participants, caregivers, and staff and collaborate as a member of an interdisciplinary team.

Strong organizational, time management, and critical thinking skills, with the ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced healthcare environment.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and other healthcare software systems.

Medical Clearance
Employees must have medical clearance for communicable diseases and up-to-date immunizations before having direct participant contact.

Job offers are contingent upon a successful pre-employment drug screen, background check, and physical assessment.

Gary and Mary West PACE provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, pregnancy, military and veteran status, age, physical and mental disability, genetic characteristics, gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation or any other considerations made unlawful by applicable state or local laws.

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