CDM, CFPP of the Month - August 2024

Stephanie Charnovic, CDM, CFPP


Name: Stephanie Charnovic, CDM, CFPP

Job Title: Senior Clinical Nutrition Manager

Employer: Lutheran Homes of South Carolina

Job Location: Columbia SC and Inman, SC

Months at Current Facility: 3 years

Years in Current Position: 1.5 years

CDM, CFPP Since: 2010

 

Why did you decide to become a CDM, CFPP?

My story begins with my grandparents - they basically raised me when my parents worked shifts in healthcare (mother was a nurse and father was a firefighter) and worked long hours. My grandparents influenced me to understand that the aging population is very special, and my grandmother’s passion for cooking rubbed off on me as well. Once they got older I understood how nutrition and food played a very important role on their aging. They meant everything to me. My grandmother’s love for cooking pushed me to go for my culinary arts degree. My grandfather’s diagnosis of dementia lead me to go more clinical and become a CDM.     

What are your main responsibilities in your current position?

I complete all of the clinical aspects of being a CDM

  • Resident interviews
  • Complete nutrition note
  • Complete the care plan
  • Complete the nutrition assessment
  • Complete quarterlies/annuals
  • Complete weekly weight reports
  • Participate in QAPI
  • Participate in care plan meetings with families and IDT
  • Participate in Medicare, At-Risk, and weight/wound meetings

How do you organize your time at work to make sure you accomplish all your responsibilities?

I live by lists, and making myself sheets for each of the above processes. Being organized and setting deadlines is key. Sometimes days don’t pan out how you want them to – but knowing what items take priority to get done and how to manage time by feeling confident to find other staff to delegate smaller jobs is key to being a strong manager.

What is an example of an innovative way you have made change at your facility and how did you implement it?

I came into my community and changed our menu system. Our community is a CCRC who had the same menu across the board. Some of the food was appealing to the independent community, but not to our skilled long term residents. I saw the need to make residents in the skilled/therapy units happier by getting their ideas and what they liked to see on the menu. Upon review, I worked with the Executive Chef/Director and we collaborated two separate menus, one for the IL/AL residents and one for the skilled/rehab. By making the residents be a part of our implementation, it made it an easy seamless way to change. As you know, some things had some issues, but we worked together with the residents to make issues become success.

What was your first job in the foodservice industry?

My first job in the foodservice industry was a server at a local Red Robin. It was there that I learned the basics of customer service and knowing what it was like to deal with customers, and knowing how to deal with issues, unhappy customers, and how to overcome obstacles in food service.

Who has been your biggest mentor in foodservice and how have they helped shape your career?

There are two women who came into my life when I entered a CDM course at The University of Akron. Debbie Kemokai-Wright and Fran Merda. Both dietitians who taught the course. They always gave me opportunities that opened up new doors for me and were always there in times of need to either just listen or help me resolve issues as I had never worked in LTC before starting my career. I wouldn’t call them mentors anymore as they have become part of my family. Both live back in Ohio where I am from and they are both only a phone call away and still continue to back me in my decisions now and will always be a huge part of my life as a CDM and in my career in how it’s progressed. Love you Fran and Debbie!

What are the biggest challenges you face in your position and how do you handle them?

Overall, in my career it was staffing. When I was a director, it was trying to keep up with hiring, and keeping a full staff. As CDM’s know, it’s hard to keep a full staff! You are always interviewing and trying to fill positions. When I was a director I would have leaders in my kitchen be a part of the interview process and have them ask them questions to make them feel more a part of hiring people and boost morale in our kitchen.

 

As a clinical CDM, currently the biggest challenge I face is not getting weights or diet orders in a timely fashion. As a team we have to communicate and set our emotions/feelings aside and work together as one to get the job done. What has helped with communication is having a clinical meeting every morning with nurses, therapy, social workers, and MD/NP. This is where we communicate the 24 hour report, new admissions that came in, and what we need to get on top of throughout the day. It helps us as a team to be able to see what is needed for our residents and to follow up on their needs. 

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of my job is meeting with the residents and having them tell me their story. You become so close to each one of them and get to know who they are. In my job, I think of each resident like my grandmother and my grandfather, and how I would like them to be treated. I put forth the same genuine care and love each day. Some days might be harder than others, but then I think what my grandparents taught me in my life and they brought out the best in me each day. I have a photo of my grandparents on my desks in each of my offices that remind me that each one of my residents are just like them. 

How do you stay up to date with current innovations and trends?

I was recently elected to be a part of my state ANFP board. We keep open communication with our members and with national and we discuss any items that come to the table to bring about issues we need to bring up to national or to discuss at our meetings. I attend regional meetings (just attended the spring regional meeting in Cleveland) and get new information and report back to the state. 

How do you envision the foodservice industry changing in the next few years?

I envision the foodservice industry changing a lot.  As everyone knows, COVID has changed a lot in our industry and standards have become very different. As change happens in our world it’s hard to change what we have been doing for so long. But, change helps us grow and lets us see new areas for growth. I believe the next generation in long term care is going to see more of the baby boomers re-creating the service aspect/culinary needs/development of new dining rooms of our departments and it becoming a different way of long term care. 

What is your advice to those just getting started in the foodservice industry?

Do what your passion is! My passion in life was my grandparents and cooking. Do what you love and what you are passionate about and it will never be a job for you! I always wanted to listen to my parents growing up and they always told me what I needed to do to make it in life financially. They pressured me for many years saying this industry is too much and not rewarding enough financially. But, with my perseverance, hard work, many hours, and dedication, this job has done that plus has given me the ability to tell the younger generation or those wanting to enter the industry at a later stage in life that sometimes it’s not about the money, or the accomplishments. It’s about how you feel inside and how you feel when you feed someone or give someone nutritional advice knowing that you spent the time and put in the hard work to make a difference in that person’s life.