Health Technician (Dietetic)
About The Position
This position is in the Nutrition and Food Service at the VA Medical Center in William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans' Hospital. The employee serves as a Nutrition Communication Center Ambassador, providing administrative and customer service support for the hospital food service program. The position is based in the nutrition call center and supports meal ordering and coordination for Veterans and clinical staff. The role includes taking room-service meal orders, coordinating calorie counts and patient intake reports, printing food service reports, coordinating meal services, and conducting patient surveys. The employee uses dietetics software and computerized information to support tray and nourishment assembly and delivery, provides information about local therapeutic diets, and assists patients in choosing foods consistent with their diets. The work schedule is either 6:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. or 10:15 a.m.–6:45 p.m., with rotating weekends and holidays. This is not a virtual position. Promotion to the full performance level may be possible without further competition when regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met.
Requirements
- U.S. citizenship is required, subject to the stated exception for appointments when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
- Proficiency in spoken and written English.
- For GS-03: at least six months of general experience, or one full year of qualifying education above high school, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- For GS-04: at least one year of general experience, or two years of qualifying education above high school including at least 12 semester hours in related subjects, or an equivalent combination.
- For GS-05: one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-04, including relevant food-service and dietetics duties, or a qualifying four-year bachelor's degree with a major or at least 24 semester hours in directly related subjects, or an equivalent combination.
- GS-05 specialized experience includes hospital food service, tray assembly procedures, dietetics software, regular and modified diets, assisting with food selections, following instructions, and using computer equipment, phone systems, and printers.
- Effective verbal and written communication and good customer service.
- Applicants must complete the application, questionnaire, and required online assessment.
- Tentatively selected applicants for testing-designated positions are subject to urinalysis; refusal results in denial of employment.
- Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
- Selected applicants must complete background/security investigation and online onboarding requirements and provide acceptable identification.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
- A one-year probationary period is required.
- Transcripts are required when education is used to qualify; education must be from an appropriately accredited institution.
Responsibilities
- Route modified diets, combinations of diet modifications, and dietetics software information.
- Handle patient meal service orders in person or by phone.
- Interact with Veterans, dietitians, nursing staff, and other medical center employees.
- Receive meal orders and preferences, and meal and nourishment requests from nursing, clinical staff, and other interdisciplinary team members.
- Take appropriate action within the position's authority to maximize patient satisfaction with meal service.
- Complete select and non-select menus as required.
- Retrieve computerized information to support tray or nourishment assembly, including standing orders, nourishment labels, tabulated recipe lists, and other information used in meal delivery.
- Provide education and information about local facility therapeutic diets to patients, guests, and nursing staff.
- Assist patients in selecting foods appropriate to their individual diets.
- Perform clerical and administrative duties in support of the service.
- Take meal orders from Veterans using room service, coordinate calorie counts and patient intake reports, print food service reports, coordinate meal services, and conduct patient surveys.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Benefits
- Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefit eligibility depends on position type.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
