The incumbent is responsible for handling patient meal service orders, answers patient calls using phone system and may enter meal orders into a COTS Dietetics Software system. The incumbent will interact with veterans, dietitians, nursing staff, and other medical center employees and will provide excellent customer service and be professional and courteous at all times.
This position will collaborate with Dietitians regarding Food/Drug Interactions, notifying clinical staff of potential issues with meal service and delivery and taking direction regarding management. The NCC is staffed to receive patient meal orders and preferences meal and nourishment requests from nursing, clinical staff, and other members of the interdisciplinary team during all hours of meal operations, seven days a week.
The incumbent will practice excellent customer service skills in all forms of communication, either via telephone, e-mail or in-person. The incumbent must also practice proper business telephone etiquette while answering the phone. When communicating with customers, incumbent will be pleasant, friendly, personable, and professional.
Incumbent will welcome callers courteously and identify themselves/ the service/ the organization. Communicates effectively via telephone and in person and uses strong listening and speaking skills. Properly operates telephone equipment in order to transfer or place calls on hold. The incumbent will consider both verbal and nonverbal aspects of communication.
The Incumbent will maintain the vital connection between Nutrition Communication Center (NCC) Associates, Registered Dietitian, higher graded dietetic technicians, food service staff, Nursing, patients and guests. NCC Associate will follow local-facility policies and standard procedures for patient feeding, including but not limited to missed patient meals, late tray requests, patient meal ordering, and adherence to prescribed therapeutic diet.
NCC Associate will take whatever action necessary, within their authority, to maximize patient satisfaction with meal service. NCC Associate prints, prepares and reviews meal tickets according to local facility procedures. NCC Associate completes select and non-select menus as required.
Triages calls from inpatient units or outpatient clinics and procedure areas relating to patient meal trays or nourishments at the lowest level and will refer issues that cannot be resolved to Food Service Supervisor or other as determined by local policy.
The incumbent will retrieve computerized information/printouts to assist with tray and/or nourishment assembly such as standing orders, nourishment labels, tabulated recipe lists, and other simple information to assist in meal delivery. Organizes work to complete assignments.
Has thorough knowledge of basic and routine modified diets and is able to provide basic-level education and information on local facility therapeutic diets to patients, guests, and nursing staff. Makes referrals to dietetic technician and/or dietitian as needed for more thorough diet education.
May complete quality monitors to ensure food items and menu selections for regular and therapeutic diets are prepared and served appropriately (i.e. accuracy, timeliness, appearance, and temperature, dysphagia food testing).
NCC Associate is responsible for the independent and accurate transfer of information received via COTS Dietetics software. Diet activity and patient information must be interpreted correctly to ensure meals trays contain food items adhering to patient requests and preferences, and current therapeutic diet order. The NCC Associate may adjust diet patterns and menu selections to assure the correct meal tickets are generated, as per local facility policy and procedures.
NCC Associate transfers patient menu preferences accordingly and keeps NCC stocked with all supplies needed and files menus.
Prints lists, reports, labels, and tray tickets following the established local facility procedures. CCA runs nourishment labels, reports, prints back-up copies of reports and labels for contingency plans, and checks telephone messages. NCC Associate may be required to adjust menu selections, nourishments as needed for diet changes and NPO orders, as determined by local policies and procedures.
Incumbent will use a computer terminal to record, retrieve and print recipes, menus, and inventory reports; to disseminate this information to various work units in the kitchen. Identifies errors in diet information transmitted from inpatient units to Nutrition and Food Services and takes any necessary corrective actions.
Must be able to understand Dietetics Software programs, computer keyboard, printers, and ACD phone system in order to perform required computer functions. Completes all other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm Monday-Friday and every other weekend
Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Dietetic)/PD99796S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
