Dining Coordinator - Full Time

Penn Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Health System; Plainsboro Township (NJ); On-site; USD 23,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Penn Medicine in Plainsboro Township, NJ, seeks a patient meal services associate to secure meal selections and handle special requests via phone or in person. You will print tickets, relay orders to the food production team, and ensure diet orders are followed with proactive communication to dietitians.

Join a team focused on delivering compassionate, patient-centered care while contributing to daily meal service operations and patient satisfaction goals.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; related degrees preferred.
• Basic understanding of diet orders and patient needs is beneficial.
• Ability to handle confidential information and HIPAA compliant.
• Experience with hospital food service or patient meal coordination is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Answer calls, take patient meal selections, and confirm requests.
• Print meal tickets and communicate with food production teams.
• Ensure adherence to prescribed diets and communicate issues to dietitians.
• Provide an exceptional, caring experience for patients and families.
• Support patient satisfaction goals and complete routine reports.

Skills

Telephone etiquette

Customer service

Compassionate care

Communication with nursing

Education

H.S. Diploma/GED

Associate of Arts or Science

Associate’s Degree in Nutrition or related field

Bachelor’s Degree in Food & Nutrition or related field

Bachelor of Arts or Science

Tools

Dining on Call

Job description

Penn Medicine is dedicated to our tripartite mission of providing the highest level of care to patients, conducting innovative research, and educating future leaders in the field of medicine. Working for this leading academic medical center means collaboration with top clinical, technical and business professionals across all disciplines.

Today at Penn Medicine, someone will make a breakthrough. Someone will heal a heart, deliver hopeful news, and give comfort and reassurance. Our employees shape our future each day. Are you living your life's work?

Summary

• Responsible for securing patient meal selections and special requests and needs via telephone or face to face interaction.
• Responsible for printing meal tickets, various reports and ensuring timely communication to food production team.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance to ordered diets, providing service recovery when needed and proactive communication with Registered Dietitians and department management for problem resolution.
• Responsible for providing an exceptional, caring and compassionate experience for patients and their families.
• Responsible and accountable for achieving patient satisfaction scores according to established departmental goals.

Responsibilities

• Exhibits a friendly and caring approach when answering or calling out on phone, taking patient menu selection, confirming patient requests, and discussing patient needs and tray delivery time with nursing or departmental team members.
• Follows proper telephone etiquette and procedures with patients, visitors and healthcare professionals.
• Adheres to patient’s confidentiality and rights policy in compliance with HIPAA policies & procedures.
• Complies with dietary restrictions on special, modified diets to ensure optimal food preferences are met within guidelines of diet order limitations.
• Offers alternatives to menu as allowed on prescribed diet in accordance with food allergies and sensitivities, cultural, ethnic and religious preferences, when patient inquires or needs additional selections as demonstrated by meeting competency standards.
• Resolves patient concerns or complaints immediately and/or reports needed assistance to Registered Dietitian, Supervisor or Manager as appropriate.
• Completes all daily, weekly, or monthly reports as outlined.
• Utilizes Dining on Call software program appropriately to manage patient orders.
• Reports software, printer, phone issues to supervisor or manager promptly.
• Assists on tray line, wraps silverware, delivers trays and other performs other patient meal service related tasks as may be assigned.
• Follows all departmental policies regarding food safety, infection prevention, employee hygiene, hazardous material and waste disposal processes.
• Complies with federal, state and local health and sanitation regulations and departmental sanitation procedures.
• Identifies and utilizes chemicals following directions recommended by manufacturer and per MSDS sheets.
• Adheres to Emergency Preparedness Program.
• Participates in disaster drills, as appropriate.
• Adheres to Life Safety Program and participates in fire drills as appropriate.
• Participates and attends departmental meetings and staff development programs as appropriate.
• Exhibits pleasant and cheerful demeanor and maintains helpful approach towards employees, physicians, patients and visitors.
• Wears ID Badge at shoulder level.
• Complies with department uniform standards.
• Maintains a clean, sanitary working environment.
• Reads and complies with hospital and departmental policies and procedures as applicable.
• Performs other tasks as may be assigned.

Credentials

• Dietetic Tchn, Registered (Required)
• Registered Diet Technician (DTR) from Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics - preferred

Education or Equivalent Experience

• H.S. Diploma/GED (Required)
• High School Graduate/GED/Equivalent Work Exp - required At Least one year previous work experience Two (2) to four (4) years experience preferred
• Associate of Arts or Science
• Associate’s Degree in Nutrition or a similar field - preferred
• Bachelor of Arts or Science
• Bachelor’s Degree in Food & Nutrition or a similar field - preferred

We believe that the best care for our patients starts with the best care for our employees. Our employee benefits programs help our employees get healthy and stay healthy. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program that includes one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region. Penn Medicine employees are actively engaged and committed to our mission. Together we will continue to make medical advances that help people live longer, healthier lives.

Salary Range

$17.38 - $23.98/Hourly

As part of their job offer, successful candidates are provided a specific rate, taking into consideration various factors including experience and education.

Click here for information on UPHS’s Benefits.

Live Your Life's Work

We are an Equal Opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, familial status, genetic information, domestic or sexual violence victim status, citizenship status, military status, status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by applicable law.