Mara Elise Thornton

Profile

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with 9 years of clinical and community nutrition experience specializing in metabolic disorders, weight management, and sports performance. Proven record of designing evidence-based protocols adopted across multi-site health systems serving 2,000+ patients annually. Certified in Diabetes Care and Education with additional expertise in medical nutrition therapy for cardiovascular and renal populations.

Work Experience

Senior Clinical DietitianMar 2019 - Present

Seton Health Network, Austin, TX

Redesigned inpatient nutrition screening protocol for 340-bed hospital, reducing malnutrition-related complications by 22% over 18 months and cutting average LOS by 0.8 days.
Developed and delivered a 12-week group diabetes self-management education program enrolling 180 patients per year, achieving a mean HbA1c reduction of 1.4 points among completers.
Mentored 6 dietetic interns across two annual cohorts, with 100% first-attempt pass rate on the RD credentialing exam.

Outpatient DietitianJun 2016 - Feb 2019

Lone Star Wellness Center, Austin, TX

Managed a caseload of 65 individual clients per week across weight management, eating disorder recovery, and sports nutrition programs, achieving 78% client retention at 6 months.
Built a corporate wellness nutrition curriculum adopted by 4 local employers, reaching 320 employees and reducing reported high-cholesterol diagnoses by 14% in annual biometrics.
Streamlined new-patient intake using a custom EHR template that cut documentation time by 35%, freeing approximately 4 hours per week for direct patient care.

Community Nutrition EducatorAug 2014 - May 2016

Central Texas Food Bank, Austin, TX

Designed and facilitated 40+ nutrition workshops annually for low-income adults and families, consistently scoring 4.7 out of 5 on post-session participant evaluations.
Secured a $28,000 USDA SNAP-Ed mini-grant to fund a 6-month cooking skills series, graduating 94 participants with demonstrated improvement in dietary diversity scores.
Coordinated with 12 community partner agencies to integrate nutrition counseling into existing social services, expanding program reach by 31% year-over-year.

Skills

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN, CDR)Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES)Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT)Motivational InterviewingEpic EHR & Nutrition Care ManagerMacronutrient & Micronutrient Analysis (ESHA Genesis R&D)SNAP-Ed Program DevelopmentSports Nutrition & Body Composition AssessmentEnteral & Parenteral Nutrition Support

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