Lack of Qualified Certified Dietary Manager Overseeing Food and Nutrition Services
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to employ a qualified certified dietary manager as the food service director, as required for the food and nutrition service. CMS Form 671 dated 12/8/25 documented that 81 residents resided in the facility. During an interview on 12/8/25 at 9:31 AM, the food service director (V13) stated he was not licensed as a certified dietary manager, explaining that he had taken the relevant courses at a local community college 7 to 8 years earlier, failed the certification exam on his first attempt, and had not retaken it. V13 reported that he completes initial and quarterly assessments of residents, while a contract dietitian performs all assessments on high-risk residents. Course certificates provided by the facility showed that V13 completed coursework in food nutrition therapy, food safety sanitation and human resource management, and management of food service operations, but verification with the Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals showed there were no current certified dietary managers in the nation with V13’s last name. The facility’s job description for the Food Service Supervisor required either a Bachelor of Science degree in Foods and Nutrition from an accredited college or university, or graduation from a qualifying food service supervision course with at least 90 hours of classroom instruction and on-the-job counseling by a dietitian, which V13 did not meet as a certified dietary manager.
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