Director of Food and Nutrition at Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital – Thermopolis, Wyoming

Hot Springs Health

Job Description

Director, Nutrition and Room Service

Registered Dietitian

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DEPARTMENT: Nutrition and Room Service

SUPERVISOR: Chief Financial Officer

STATUS: Non-Exempt

APPROVED BY: Chief Executive Officer

EMPLOYEE NAME: DATE: February 2026

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GENERAL:

In accordance with the Hot Springs Health Personnel Policy and Procedure Manual and the requirements of our accrediting bodies, the employee will: support the mission of “Partnering with our community for quality health and healing”, our five core values “Ownership, Always better than yesterday, Service first, Integrity, and Stewardship of our resources (OASIS). Our behavior creates our OASIS – a place where we can find safety, sustenance, and a pleasant change from the usual and the vision “to be the provider and employer of choice in our region, providing quality care and excelling as a teaching hospital in Wyoming.”

The established priorities of Quality, Service, Finance, People, and Growth, will be utilized in decision making. Furthermore, the employee will demonstrate the ability to manage time, maintain a safe and clean environment; practice confidentiality; treat all persons with respect and professional courtesy; accept change; accept and provide constructive feedback; work as a team player and adhere to the infection control, fire and safety, disaster and hazardous waste policies. The employee must also demonstrate the competencies for their position, and adhere to policies and procedures of their department. The employee will participate in quality improvement activities.

BEHAVIORAL REQUIREMENTS:

The following is a list of minimally required behaviors to assist the employee in partnering with our community:

Ownership

Accepts responsibility for actions, attitudes and health. Doing things right the first time, every time for excellent results. Accepts ownership of mistakes and takes constructive action to avoid repeating mistakes. Works with empowerment to the highest potential both as an individual and as part of the team. Unsatisfied with the status quo or just being “good.”

Always Better Today Than Yesterday

Performs at the highest level, always learning and looking for ways to improve, with an unwavering focus on safety. Celebrates and encourages the contributions of one another. Constructively challenges the status quo by being flexible, adaptable and embracing change as a key element of our future success. Contributes to an environment that encourages creative thinking. Shares ideas and opinions, and supports opportunities to learn and grow.

Service First

Doing our best every day to anticipate and exceed the expectations of patients, providers, and co-workers. Understands excellence is the result of a team effort. Creates legendary experiences.

Integrity

Does the right thing. Consistently open, honest, trustworthy, and ethical. Demonstrates respect for patients, their families, staff, providers, and the community.

Stewardship of Our Resources

Strives to care wisely for our human, financial, and natural resources. Strengthens HSH as a partner in the community.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides leadership for the strategic and operational planning for the Nutrition and Room Service Department.

• Contribute to HSH's strategic and operational planning, with emphasis on establishing objectives, long-range planning, and program development for Nutrition and Room Services.
• Ensure departmental plans are updated annually and align with the strategic plan of HSH.
• Make routine rounds to interact with Department Directors and staff, review delivery system, and assist in identifying areas for improvement.
• Utilize continuous quality improvement principles to develop and promptly execute a plan for improved service delivery based on identified needs.
• Collaborate with other healthcare professionals to act as a change agent by identifying areas needing change and establishing and implementing a positive and proactive approach to systematic change.

Plan, develop, organize, implement, direct, and evaluate the organization’s Nutrition and Room Service function and performance.

• Effectively manage the department's logistical resources, including budgetary development, compliance, and evaluation of mechanisms to reduce operating costs while maintaining the quality of services.
• Verify and approve departmental invoices, manage timesheets, manage vendor purchasing, sales: cashier/vending daily/weekly/monthly
• Develop work schedules to ensure adequate staff to cover each shift.
• Create and monitor budgets for a cost-effective program.
• Prepare, evaluate and take action on FTE/unit monitoring; menu development, implementation, department communication huddles and monthly meetings, and inventory management.
• Manage revenue-generating services.
• Use forecasts, food waste records, inventory and equipment records to plan the purchase of food, supplies, and equipment according to facility procurement processes.
• Analyze all services to ensure appropriateness, timeliness, and effectiveness of Nutrition and Room Service provided to patients.

• Specify Standards and procedures for food preparation.
• Inspect meals and ensure that standards for appearance, palatability, temperature, and serving times are met.
• Plan menus responding to client preferences, substitution lists, therapeutic diets, and industry trends.
• Supervise the preparation and service of special diets, nourishments, and supplemental feedings.
• Assure that foods are prepared according to production schedules, menus, and standardized recipes.
• Assure the safe receiving, storage, preparation, and service of food. Schedule and receive food and beverage deliveries, checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity.
• Protect food in all preparation phases, holding, service, cooking, and transportation, using HACCP Guidelines.
• Prepare cleaning schedules and maintain equipment to ensure food safety.
• Ensure staff's proper sanitation and safety practices.
• Monitor new diet orders and diet changes.
• Determine client diet needs and develop appropriate nutrition plans, and in compliance with physicians’ orders.
• Review plan of care related to nutritional status per Clinical Nutrition policies and procedures.
• Review, revise, and implement the client's nutrition assessment and care plan in cooperation with the interdisciplinary team.
• Prepares daily, bi-weekly and monthly stats, nutrition screening/assessment/reassessment (BMI, diet, diagnosis, labs, meds), provides clinical services in the specialty clinic; attends rounds: MDT and physical, resident education sessions, confirm daily diet order sheets for clinical accuracy for Room Service; Cerner integration with Stella; provides nursing night shift rounding.
• Monitor compliance with health and fire regulations regarding food preparation and serving.
• Review, research, and update policies and procedures for Clinical Nutrition and Room Service areas.
• Assure adherence to regulatory and accreditation standards relative to Clinical Nutrition and Room Service.
• Ensure the completion, maintenance, and submission of all required reports and records to regulatory bodies.
• Assist in preparation for state, federal, regulatory, and accrediting surveys

Collaborates with Senior Leadership Team, Medical Director, and Department Directors to ensure safe patient care.

• Review all occurrence reports for Nutrition and Room Service and take appropriate action.
• Actively participate in a quality management plan consistent with HSH to not just maintain, but to improve organization performance
• Actively participates in organizational meetings as assigned.

• Actively participates in facility committees, community and professional organizations.
• Collaborate with other healthcare professionals to act as a change agent by identifying areas needing change and proactively implementing a positive and proactive approach to systematic change.

Other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Directly supervises one to eight employees. Carries out supervisory responsibilities by the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: 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 ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

The Director of Nutrition and Room Service, Registered Dietitian shall be:

1. Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from an accredited program
2. Must possess communication skills to relate to the public
3. Registered Dietitian with the Commission on Dietetic Registration
4. Training in food service, with experience preferred
5. Minimum 1-2 years of supervisory experience preferred.
6. Intermediate computer skills

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community. Ability to write policies and procedures that conform to prescribed style and format. Ability to effectively present information to top management, public groups, and boards of directors.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Intermediate to advanced mathematical skills related to the position required.

REASONING ABILITY:

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with various concrete variables in situations with limited standardization. Ability to interpret multiple instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. Ability to modify care based on the developmental and functional age of the patient as well as that of the patient's ethnic background.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with the Commission on Dietetic Registration, current and maintained.
• Licensed Dietitian with the State of Wyoming Dietetics Licensing Board, current and maintained.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to act as a patient advocate.
• Ability to interact with patients, families, visitors, and co-workers.
• Ability to interact assertively and tactfully when dealing with conflict and group-solving activities.
• Ability to demonstrate a professional, open-minded approach to identifying problems and resolving problems and conflicts.

Age Specific:

Must provide care according to the developmental level and/or chronological patient served. This includes, but is not limited to, identifying the needs and abilities of each patient and demonstrating an understanding of how a patient’s chronological and developmental age influences their need for adaptations related to their abilities. Also, an understanding of how a patient’s age impacts their ability to deal with and adapt to the care required-a general census of neonatal to geriatric patients.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While filling this position, the employee must regularly lift and move 10 pounds and occasionally lift and move up to 30 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception. This position also requires walking or standing to a significant degree. This position also requires reaching, handling, touching, feeling, talking, hearing, stooping, bending, crouching, and working with equipment.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

The employee is exposed to inside and possibly outside weather conditions. The employee is also subject to blood and body fluids, proximity to moving mechanical parts, electrical shock, burns and radiant energy, explosives, and toxic chemicals and biological agents.