Dietary Clerk (Part-Time)

Overview

At Houston Methodist, the Dietary Clerk position is responsible for performing customer-oriented activities and various background operational duties relating to obtaining Room Service orders and the entry of meal selections via the departmental computerized software. This position is responsible for taking diet orders from patients, explaining which diet patients are on and answering questions regarding food choices. The Dietary Clerk position assists with patient tray assembly. This position organizes menus by unit and utilizes departmental computerized software to supplement menus for patient meals that have not been ordered. The Dietary Clerk position is responsible for the calculation, delivery, and tracking of nutrition products to the patient's bedside or patient care unit. This position follows all department policies and procedures and must comply with relevant local Food Ordinances.

Houston Methodist Standard

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVEDRefer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

Responsibilities

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Explains procedure for ordering of meals to all patients. Anticipates the need of the patient and responds appropriately. Interacts in a positive, professional manner with patients, family members and/or nursing on a daily basis. Communicates clearly and professionally, whether verbally or in writing, to take patient orders, promoting both work efforts and problem resolution.

• Communicates with unit and on-call Dietitian to clarify discrepancies in diet orders and to ensure patient needs are met. Partners with the Nutrition Assistant to ensure patients' selections are communicated to tray line.

• Communicates pertinent information (difficulty eating, poor appetite, nourishment concerns, formula usage, requests to see the Dietitian, nutrition consult orders) to ensure proper handling and timely processing of information.

• Promotes, develops, and sustains teamwork. Contributes towards improvement of department scores for employee engagement, i.e., peer-to-peer accountability.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assists with incoming calls. Enters census for trays provided to guest and outpatient areas, accurately entering patient meal orders into the computerized departmental software. Dispatches received messages, as appropriate, and orders in a timely manner upon receipt.

• Navigates and confirm patient's diet orders and notes in EMR. Maintains knowledge of diets when negotiating alternatives to selections when items requested are not allowed on the patient's diet or when greater variety is needed, offers alternative items to increase patient satisfaction with service.

• Confers with patients by phone to obtain their patient meal request, utilizing computerized department software in recording information (allergies, late/hold, paper service, notes, etc.) in the proper manner so that concise instructions relating to patient care are maintained and followed. Assists in plating food items on patients' trays during peak times as per team leader or manager.

• Resolves promptly any issues, which may occur with any of the patient dining services programs and refers complaints to the appropriate departmental staff member for in