Health Technician (Dietetic)

Veterans Health Administration • Tampa, FL

11d • Onsite

About The Position

The VA Tampa Healthcare System provides outstanding health care, trains America's future health care providers, and conducts important medical research. They offer health care services at 20 locations in central Florida, including the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa and 16 community-based outpatient clinics. This position will collaborate with Dietitians regarding Food/Drug Interactions, notifying clinical staff of potential issues with meal service and delivery and taking direction regarding management. The NCC is staffed to receive patient meal orders and preferences, meal and nourishment requests from nursing, clinical staff, and other members of the interdisciplinary team during all hours of meal service operations, seven days a week.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; including Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period
• Individual Occupational Requirement: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled OR successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position.
• At least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-04) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of this Health Technician (Dietetic) position. Specialized experience includes performing duties in food service in a hospital environment; tray delivery and knowledge of tray assembly area procedures; using dietetics software programs; familiarity with regular and modified diets; assisting with food selections; following verbal and written instructions; and using computer equipment, phone system, and printers.
• This position requires effective communication skills both verbally and in writing and good customer service.
• A bachelor's degree or four (4) years of education above the high school level with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position (i.e. nutrition, dietary therapy, food and nutrition science, food service systems management, etc.). This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite.
• An equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained at an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in conducting dietary assessments, understanding nutritional needs, and developing meal plans for patients with various medical conditions.
• Ability to collaborate with dietitians and other healthcare professionals to implement and adjust dietary interventions.
• Experience working in a call center environment, particularly in a healthcare or nutrition context.
• Proficiency in managing high volumes of calls, providing information, and addressing patient inquiries and concerns with empathy and professionalism.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to interact effectively with patients, caregivers, and healthcare team members.
• Experience in educating patients on dietary guidelines, meal planning, and the use of nutritional supplements.
• Experience in managing patient records and ensuring accurate and up-to-date documentation.
• Ability to assess educational needs and tailor information to diverse patient populations.
• Familiarity with common dietary supplements and their appropriate use for various medical conditions.

Responsibilities

• Has a broad knowledge of routing modified diets, combinations of diet modifications and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) dietetics software
• Handles patient meal service orders in person or by phone
• Interacts with Veterans, dietitians, nursing staff, and other medical center employees
• Receives patient meal orders and preferences, meal and nourishment requests from nursing, clinical staff, and other members of the interdisciplinary team
• Takes whatever action necessary, within authority, to maximize patient satisfaction with meal service
• Completes select and non-select menus as required
• Retrieves computerized information to assist with tray and/or nourishment assembly such as standing orders, nourishment labels, tabulated recipe lists, and other simple information to assist in meal delivery
• Provides education and information on local facility therapeutic diets to patients, guests, and nursing staff
• Assists patients in selection of the proper foods according to their individual diet
• Performs clerical and administrative duties in support of the service
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level