Summary

This position is located within the Nutrition and Food Service (N&FS) at the Boise VA Medical Center serving as a Nutrition Communication Center (NCC) Associate, providing administrative and customer service support for the VA hospital food service program.

Duties

Major Duties include but not limited to :

The incumbent will practice excellent customer service skills in all forms of communication, either via telephone, e-mail or in-person.

The incumbent must also practice proper business telephone etiquette while answering the phone. When communicating with customers, incumbent will be pleasant, friendly, personable, and professional.

Incumbent will welcome callers courteously and identify themselves / the service / the organization. Communicates effectively via telephone and in-person and uses strong listening and speaking skills.

Properly operates telephone equipment in order to transfer or place calls on hold. The incumbent will consider both verbal and nonverbal aspects of communication.

Assists patients in selection of the proper foods according to their individual diet. Uses communication skills to converse with veteran's to accurately take menu orders via COTS Dietetic software System.

Must possess multitasking skills when entering menu orders and improving quality of life of veterans through social interaction.

Uses computer skills to precisely and swiftly move between functions in software systems and effectively log on and off the computer system.

Incumbent handles routine telephone inquiries from nursing units / nursing personnel regarding patient meal orders and may maintain a log of telephonic client inquiries / concerns received directly from the client or unit personnel based on local policy.

Initiates corrective action and / or notifies appropriate dietitian / dietetic technician for follow up. Follows local policies and procedures for calorie counts, maintaining of call records and other food service-related functions.

NCC Associate communicates patient concerns with registered dietitian or dietetic Technician as appropriate and communicates with supervisor to complete all task assigned such as production / menu changes, menu specials, or menu shortages.

Verifies physician orders for unusual diets, conflicting modifications, tube feeding orders and nutritional supplements.

Ensures supplemental feedings are correctly entered. Advises food service supervisors and / or food production chief of any special orders or changes needed that may impact food production, including instances when substitutions are needed due to food preferences.

Prints lists, reports, labels, and tray tickets following the established local facility procedures. NCCA runs nourishment labels, reports, prints back-up copies of reports and labels for contingency plans, and checks telephone messages.

NCC Associate may be required to adjust menu selections, nourishments as needed for diet changes and NPO orders, as determined by local policies and procedures.

Incumbent will use a computer terminal to record, retrieve and print recipes, menus, and inventory reports; to disseminate this information to various work units in the kitchen.

Identifies errors in diet information transmitted from inpatient units to Nutrition and Food Services and takes any necessary corrective actions.

Prints and assembles tray ticket packets in accordance with local facility policies and procedures and verifies correctness of the information and adherence to prescribed diet NCC Associate may discuss with diet technician and / or dietitian any adjustments of tray tickets, standing orders or supplemental feedings.

Verifies physician orders for unusual diets, conflicting modifications, and nutritional supplements with the appropriate RD, informatics RD, or FSSM.

NCC Associate completes performance improvement activities as assigned by supervisor and conducts menu review with NFS personnel prior to meal service, etc

Work Schedule : Varies

Position Description Title / PD# : Health Technician -Dietetic (Food Service Customer Support) / PD99855A

Physical Requirements : The work requires walking, standing, bending, lifting and carrying of light items, such as food trays, instruction materials, books, and manuals.

NCC Associate functions require long periods of sitting and moving about in an office environment, including repetitive motion activities of the hands and fingers for extensive keyboard and computer mouse use, and office tasks such as answering and holding a telephone phone, and writing.

The work may require walking indoors, outdoors or to and from other areas of the medical center. It may be necessary to lift and / or push equipment.

Incumbent is subject to periods continuous standing, sitting, walking and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending.

Frequently lifts or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds and pushing loaded carts of trays and / or nourishments.