Nutrition Care Patient Services Representative

University of Utah Health•Salt Lake City, UT

12d•Onsite

About The Position

This position provides exceptional patient service and nutritional care for patients in an inpatient care unit by ensuring that patients’ dietary needs are met. The role is not responsible for providing care to patients. The representative serves as a liaison between the assigned inpatient unit and Nutrition Care Services, coordinates meal service and dietary orders, supports patients with nutrition selections, and helps ensure meals are delivered accurately and on schedule.

Requirements

One year of customer service experience.
Obtain one of the indicated food handling permits within 30 days of employment.
Incumbents assigned to patient care units must successfully complete a hospital-provided nutrition exam within one month of hire.
Hold a current Utah Food Handler Permit or current Food Protection Manager certification accredited by ANSI; additional license requirements may be determined by the hiring department.
Ability to perform the essential functions of the job.
Demonstrated communication and human relations skills.
Demonstrated knowledge of nutrition sufficient to understand special diet orders.
Ability to work both as a team member and independently.
Knowledge of when to assist other representatives who have a larger patient caseload.
Ability to appropriately handle customer issues or complaints.
Ability to meet the position’s physical and working-condition requirements, with or without accommodation, including sustained standing or walking and physical tasks such as lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of medical terminology.
Food service experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as a liaison for the assigned inpatient care unit to ensure meal service, orders, and delivery needs are met.
Respond to meal service-related calls and pages from patients, resolving problems or referring them to the appropriate individual.
Coordinate with doctors, nurses, dietitians, health care assistants, and health unit coordinators to ensure nutritional orders are accurate and patients’ dietary needs are met.
Explain the Nutrition Care Services program to patients, collect personal preferences, record meal requests, and personally deliver each meal of the day.
Enter special nutrition requests and personal preferences into the nutrition software system accurately and promptly so meals can be delivered on schedule.
Manage special requests from patients or families and determine when to refer questions to nutrition care technicians, dietitians, or department supervisors.
Assist patients in making nutrition selections that comply with their diets.
May collect trays and clean the patient care unit galley after meals.
May prepare patient areas for trays before meals and deliver the appropriate tray to each patient.