Nutrition Assistant

Houston Methodist; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Houston Methodist is seeking a Nutrition Assistant in Houston, Texas, responsible for educating patients about dining services, ensuring accurate menu selections, and resolving issues. The role involves direct communication with patients and staff to enhance meal service quality. Candidates should have a high school diploma and preferably one year of customer service experience. This position emphasizes good communication and problem-solving skills to enhance patient satisfaction.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent education required.
• One year of customer service or hospitality experience preferred.
• Certification in food handling required within 90 days.

Responsibilities

• Educates patients on dining services programs.
• Serves as the first point of contact for complaints.
• Assures all new admits receive dining services information.
• Maintains accurate documentation of work performed.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Active listening

Problem resolution

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Tools

Computerized software for menu orders

Job description

At Houston Methodist, the Nutrition Assistant position is responsible for educating the patient on the dining services programs/process, initial point of contact for problem resolution, and assuring that diet information is accurate. This position assists patients with menu selection specific to their physician‑prescribed diet order, ensures timely meal/tray delivery, and monitors feedback for improving selections and quality.

This position corrects issues relayed from patients to appropriate staff and communicates with peers and management regarding identified hazards in the workplace, following correct procedures for sanitation of work areas as appropriate. It follows all department policies and procedures and complies with local relevant Food Ordinances.

FLSA Status

Non‑exempt

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent education (examples include GED, verification of homeschool equivalency, partial or full completion of post‑secondary education, etc.)
• One year of customer service or hospitality experience preferred
• Must have one of the following certifications: Food Handlers Permit – Accredited food handler training course approved by the Texas Department of State Health Services (TXDSHS) or by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); Certified Food Manager – Obtain in 90 days; once Food Service Manager Certification is obtained, Food Handler Permit is no longer required; Food Service Manager must be renewed every 5 years.

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through ongoing assessments and evaluations.
• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job.
• Ability to effectively communicate with patients, physicians, family members and co‑workers with a customer‑service focus and positive language.
• Good communication skills and ability to work in a fast‑paced environment.
• Demonstrates good judgment in professional decision‑making.
• Ability to obtain and analyze pertinent information to make informed decisions.
• Active listening skills giving full attention to others.
• Follow up action to ensure workload processed and discrepancies resolved within established time frames.

Essential Functions

People Essential Functions

• Greets patients, uses their name, and educates them on dining services programs/process specific to their physician‑prescribed diet order.
• Serves as the first point of contact for all complaints involving patient Food Services, resolves problems, and communicates to management when food service problems are identified.
• Communicates pertinent information such as difficulty eating, poor appetite, formula usage, requests to see the Dietitian to ensure proper handling.
• Contributes toward improvement of department scores for employee engagement (peer‑to‑peer accountability).

Service Essential Functions

• Assures all new admits receive information on the dining services program and prescribed diets, assists patients with diet information, answers menu questions, and places orders using computerized software.
• Distributes tube feedings, nourishment/supplements, fruit baskets, and birthday cakes as ordered.
• Identifies menu items and describes each item on the menu to respond to inquiries regarding taste and ingredients.
• Checks the tray for accuracy and presentation prior to delivery, and secures missing or additional items requested at the time of delivery.
• Logs and tracks customer concerns on appropriate documents and ensures patients are satisfied with service.

Quality / Safety Essential Functions

• Confirms diet orders listed as “no orders” on patient meal worksheets and reviews insulin reports/tickets for patients on diabetic medications requiring medication reminders before meal delivery.
• Performs quality or PI projects, including test trays, and ensures correct meal selection to reduce waste and redundancy.
• Collects soiled trays, returns to food carts and records calorie count information on tray tickets.
• Maintains accurate documentation of work performed and keeps work area orderly.

Finance Essential Functions

• Inventories and maintains condiments at pre‑established amounts to reduce waste and stay within budget; maintains patient menu stock on assigned floors.
• Utilizes resources cost‑effectively and manages time and priorities independently while assisting coworkers.

Growth / Innovation Essential Functions

• Recommends improvements to increase patient satisfaction scores through excellent room service advocacy.
• Assists management in developing and implementing process improvements to increase patient satisfaction.
• Seeks opportunities for self‑development, completes My Development Plan, and discusses career with appropriate management.

Supplemental Requirements

Work Attire

• Uniform: Yes
• Scrubs: No
• Business professional: No
• Other (department approved): Yes

On‑Call

Employees may be required to be on‑call during emergencies (e.g., disaster, severe weather events) regardless of selection below.

No

Travel

May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area: No

May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area: No