Health Technician (Dietetic)

The primary purpose of the position is to provide administrative and customer service support for the VA hospital food service program. The incumbent performs routine duties that require exceptional customer service, computer skills, proper phone etiquette, proficiency in special food service and therapeutic diet procedures, a broad knowledge of routine modified diets, combinations of diet modifications and knowledge of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) Dietetics software and required functions.

Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Provides professional and courteous customer service.
• Communicates with customers in a pleasant, friendly, personable, and professional manner via telephone and in-person.
• Utilizes dietetic software programs to retrieve diet orders, recipes, and menu and inventory data.
• Prints and assembles tray ticket packets in accordance with local facility policies and procedures..
• Properly operates telephone equipment to transfer or place calls on hold.
• Triages calls from inpatient units or outpatient clinics and procedure areas relating to patient meal trays or nourishments.
• Provides basic-level education and information on therapeutic diets to patients, guests, and nursing staff.
• Resolves customer and/or patient complaints.
• Utilizes knowledge of basic and routine modified diets to identify problems in diet order information and take appropriate corrective action.
• Correctly interprets diet activity and patient information, to ensure appropriate food items on meals trays.
• Verifies physician orders for unusual diets, conflicting modifications, tube feeding orders and nutritional supplements.
• Assist with food selections, ensuring appropriateness of menu selections for complex diets.
• Answers the telephone using proper business etiquette.
• Attends to both verbal and nonverbal aspects of communication.