Nutrition Care Patient Services Representative

University of Utah; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 30,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Utah Health is seeking a patient-focused Nutrition Services Aide to support inpatient meal service and ensure dietary needs are met. The role emphasizes accurate meal delivery, patient interaction, and collaboration with clinical staff.

You will input nutrition requests into the software, assist patients with diet selections, and help manage special requests while maintaining high-quality service in a fast-paced hospital environment. Competitive benefits apply.

Qualifications

• One year of customer service experience.
• Must obtain Utah Food Handler Permit within 30 days of employment.
• Incumbents assigned to patient care units must complete a hospital nutrition exam within one month of hire.
• Licenses required: Utah Food Handler Permit or ANSI-certified Food Protection Manager.

Responsibilities

• Serve as liaison for inpatient unit to ensure meals are ordered and delivered on time.
• Respond to meal-service calls and address issues with patients or staff.
• Coordinate with doctors, nurses, dietitians, and health care staff to ensure dietary orders are accurate and feasible.
• Explain the Nutrition Care Services program to patients, collect preferences, record meal requests, and deliver meals.
• Input all special nutrition requests into the nutrition software accurately and promptly.
• Manage patient/family requests and refer questions to nutrition technicians or supervisors as needed.
• Assist patients with making diet-appropriate selections.
• May collect trays and clean patient care unit galley after meals.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

Team player

Nutrition knowledge

Tools

Nutrition software

Job description

Overview

As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission. EO/AA

This position provides exceptional patient service and nutritional care for patients in an inpatient care unit by making sure the patient's dietary needs are met. This position is not responsible for providing care to patients.

Corporate Overview: The University of Utah is a Level 1 Trauma Center and is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. Our five hospitals and eleven clinics provide excellence in our comprehensive services, medical advancement, and overall patient outcomes.

Why join University of Utah Health?

• Competitive pay
• Healthcare benefits starting on day one
• 401(k) retirement plan
• A work environment that values dedication, learning, and work-life balance Benefits Overview: https://employment.utah.edu/benefits/
• Parking Information: https://commuterservices.utah.edu/

Join our team and grow your career with us. Learn more about upcoming opportunities and events at uofuhealth.org/jobfairs.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Serves as a liaison for the assigned inpatient care unit to ensure that meal service, orders, and delivery needs are met.
• Responds to meal service related calls and pages from patients and helps to resolve or refers any problems to the appropriate individual.
• Interacts and coordinates with doctors, nurses, dietitians, health care assistants and health unit coordinators to ensure that nutritional orders are accurate and the patient's dietary needs are met accurately and efficiently.
• Interacts with the patient by explaining the Nutrition Care Services program, collects personal preferences, records meal requests, and personally delivers each meal of the day.
• Inputs all special nutrition requests and personal preferences into the nutrition software system correctly and in a timely manner so that all meals can be delivered on schedule.
• Manages special requests made by patients or their families and determines when to refer questions to nutrition care technicians, dietitians, or department supervisors.
• Assists patients with making nutrition selections that are compliant with their diet.
• May collect trays and clean patient care unit galley after meals.
• May prepare patient areas for trays prior to meals and the deliver the appropriate tray to each patient.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined above.
• Demonstrated communication and human relations skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge of nutrition in order to understand special diet orders.
• Ability to work as a team player and as an individual.
• Demonstrated knowledge of when to help other representatives who have a larger patient caseload.
• Ability to appropriately handle customer issues or complaints.

Qualifications

Required

• One year of customer service experience.
• One of the indicated food handling permits must be obtained within 30 days of employment.
• Incumbents assigned to patient care units must successfully complete a hospital provided nutrition exam within one month of hire.

Licenses Required

• One of the following
• Current Utah Food Handler Permit.
• Current Food Protection Manager certification, accredited by ANSI.

* Additional license requirements as determined by the hiring department.

Qualifications (Preferred)

Preferred

• Knowledge of medical terminology.
• Food service experience.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.

• This position involves intermediate working conditions in a healthcare setting that may exert up to 50 pounds and may consistently require lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise moving patients or objects, such as medical equipment, while providing patient care. This position may be standing and walking for sustained periods of time.

Physical Requirements

Carrying, Climbing, Color Determination, Crawling, Far Vision, Lifting, Listening, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision, Non Indicated, Pulling and/or Pushing, Reaching, Sitting, Speaking, Standing, Stooping and Crouching, Tasting or Smelling, Walking

Multi-lingual Candidates Welcomed

To inquire about this posting, email: [e-mail]

EEO Statement

University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, a part of The University of Utah, values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and patients from all backgrounds and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education and quality healthcare for historically underrepresented students and patient populations.

All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. Veterans' preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.

University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics, a part of The University of Utah, is an AFFIRMATIVE Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran's status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.

To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the University of Utah Health Hospitals and Clinics Human Resources office at 801-581-6500. If you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator's office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at: www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/ Online reports may be submitted at oeo.utah.edu

This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.