Diet Clerk

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas is seeking a Diet Office support role to process diet orders, update patient information, and assist the Nutrition Services team. This position involves interaction with patients, nursing staff, and food service tasks within a hospital setting.

The role requires a High School Diploma or equivalent and basic clerical/data entry experience, with opportunity for growth within a collaborative healthcare environment.

Qualifications

• Basic clerical and data entry experience.
• Customer Services or call center experience.

Responsibilities

• Process diet orders and update patient information in Nutrition Services Systems.
• Explain procedures for ordering of meals to patients and communicate professionally with staff.
• Assist with delivering trays to patients as directed by Nutrition Leadership.
• Deliver cupcakes and prepare birthday supplies as needed in the diet office.
• Manage complaints and ensure issues are resolved with supervisor.
• Print and distribute daily documents (menus, nourishment labels, tray tickets, vouchers, reports).
• Handle calls promptly using telephone etiquette.
• Promote teamwork and uphold inclusivity across the department.
• Verify patient ticket accuracy before submission and coordinate with nursing units.
• Address special patient needs across units as required.
• Call patients to discuss menu options and preferences.
• Troubleshoot computer problems with Help Desk when needed.
• Maintain adequate diet office supplies for efficient operation.
• Participate in department improvements and support nutrition obligations.

Skills

Clerical experience

Data entry

Customer service

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Job description

WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?

With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the No. 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you'll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career!

BENEFITS

UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Required

Education

• High School Diploma or equivalent

Preferred

Experience

• Basic clerical and data entry experience and
• Customer Services or call center experience

JOB DUTIES

• Process diet orders and update patient information in Nutrition Services Systems appropriately and in a timely manner.
• Explains procedures for ordering of meals to all patients. Anticipates the need of the patient and responds appropriately. Interacts in a positive, professional manner with patients, family members, and/or nursing on a daily basis. Communicates clearly and professionally, whether verbally or in writing, to take patient orders, promoting both work efforts and problem resolution.
• Assists with delivering trays to patients' as directed by Nutrition Leadership on duty to ensure patients are fed in a timely manner.
• Delivers cupcakes to patients, rolling silverware for patients', pulling birthday supplies for patients celebrating birthdays in hospital, and other misc. duties assigned in diet office.
• Effectively manages complaints and refers to supervisor as appropriate. Verifies that issues have been resolved
• Processes, prints, and distributes daily documents in a timely manner. Including, but not limited to, patient menus, nourishment labels, tray tickets, vouchers, patient reports, etc.
• Manages telephone calls promptly and professionally, utilizing telephone etiquette techniques.
• Promotes, develops, and sustains teamwork. Conducts self in a manner that is congruent with cultural diversity, equity and inclusion principles. Contributes towards improvement of department scores for employee engagement, i.e. peer-to-peer accountability.
• Processes late and/or missing trays effectively and ensures tray line begins promptly.
• Verifies accuracy of all patient ticket information prior to submission. Including but not limited to, verifying 2 patient identifiers and ensuring diet in system shown is known to patient, supplement attached, etc. Makes telephone calls to nursing units, as needed, for clarification of diet orders or requests.
• Manages special needs of patients, as indicated, including but not limited to, Rehab units, Behavioral Health Units, and other special units, could potentially include and are not limited to in-person patient ordering due to patient's treatment/care program.
• Actively makes telephone calls to patients' to discuss menu options, food preferences, etc.
• Assists in trouble shooting of computer problems by calling Help Desk or Alerting Manager on Duty immediately upon discovery to prevent delayed patient care.
• Complies with the departmental performance improvement plan by managing patient satisfaction surveys.
• Ensures adequate supplies to maintain diet office running efficiently, by communicating ordering needs to Administrative Coordinator and/or Nutrition Leadership on duty.
• Other duties may be required which are reasonably related to the essential or marginal functions of the position. Other duties as assigned include but are not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the Hospital's Nutritional obligations required by Nutrition Services with patient care. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location, including but not limited to emergency operation procedures.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Work requires heavy physical effort and must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
• Prolonged, extensive, or considerable standing/walking.
• Considerable reaching, stooping, bending, kneeling, and crouching are required.
• Exposure to warewashing chemicals/cleaning agents.
• Exposure to temperature variations and contact with wet surfaces.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS

Physical Requirements

• Bending/Leaning Over
• Carrying
• Handling
• Lifting
• Pulling
• Pushing
• Standing
• Stooping
• Walking

Working Conditions

• Clinical Setting
• Hospital Setting
• Wet

Salary Information

Salary is commensurate with education, skills, and relevant experience.

SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT

Security

This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.