Diet Clerk - Dietary - Per Diem - The Guthrie Clinic

Overview

Position Summary: Responsible for communication between the nursing units, dietitian, and Food and Nutrition Services regarding patient menus, diet changes and general patient services. Ensures the patient receives appropriate selections per diet prescription.

Experience: One to three months experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Able to read, write, and follow written and verbal instructions. Personal computer skills to include Microsoft word and excel preferred.

Essential Functions:

• Compliance with rules and regulations of all federal, state and local governments is a requirement of employment.
• Communicates patient related problems/concerns to appropriate personnel timely following departmental procedures.
• Performs all diet office functions in an accurate and timely manner
• Maintains office equipment in working order by notifying maintenance of needed repairs
• Assists dietitian with monitoring of patients who are NPO, on liquid diets, or have calorie counts ordered
• Wears name tag identification Adheres to facility confidentiality and patient's right policy as outlined in the facility's HIPAA policies and procedures
• Contributes to patient satisfaction goals by providing quality service
• Complies with federal, state and local health sanitation regulations and department sanitation procedures
• Maintains a clean, sanitary working environment Follows HACCP guidelines when assembling and distributing food supplies to ensure quality and safety of food.
• Exhibits a friendly, caring attitude while using the telephone, taking patient menu selection, confirming patient needs and discussing tray delivery time.
• Completes daily, weekly or monthly reports outlines in policies/procedures by timely meeting all deadlines
• Identifies/utilizes cleaning chemicals following directions recommended by manufacturers and per MSDS sheets.
• Utilizes equipment in performing job functions according to department’s safety procedures.
• Follows facility and department safety policies and procedures to include incident reporting.
• Follows facility and departmental infection control policies and procedures.
• Follows the facility’s protocols for Hazardous Materials and Waste Program.
• Adheres to Emergency Preparedness Program. 
• Participates in disaster drills as appropriate. Adheres to Life Safety Program and participates in fire drills as appropriate.
• Responds to utility failures following department guidelines and lock‐out/tag‐out policies as appropriate.
• Participates and attends departmental meetings and staff development programs as appropriate.
• Follows proper telephone etiquette and procedures with patients, visitors and healthcare professionals
• Reads and complies with all policies and procedures of Memorial Hospital as possible.
• Offers alternatives to menu as allowed on prescribed diet in accordance with food allergies, sensitivities, cultural, ethnic, religious preferences.
• Responsive to patient's needs at all times. Resolves patient concerns or complaints immediately and/or reports needed assistance to supervisor as appropriate.
• Complies with dietary restrictions on special, modified diets ensuring food preferences meet guidelines of diet order.
• Interacts with nursing to ensure patient diet prescriptions are accurate and patient food needs are met
• Provides adequate services recovery in a timely manner as necessary
• Maintains accurate patient files with current up‐to‐date information for each patient

Other Duties: Performs other tasks as may be assigned.