Dietary Clerk (PRN Weekends)

POSITION SUMMARY: The Dietary department at Cleveland Area Hospital is dedicated to serving healthy, delicious meals to our patients, employees, and visitors while striving for customer satisfaction and adherence to facility policies and state regulations. The Dietary Clerk plays a key role in supporting the Dietary department by processing patient diet orders, assisting with meal selections, and ensuring the patient’s meals align with prescribed diet guidelines. 

To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

 

 

 

PRINCIPAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Assist patients with meal selections, ensuring choices comply with prescribed diet orders.

2. Enters and updates patient meal selections and diet orders into the nutrition software system.

3. Prepares and prints patient meal tickets for food production and tray line assembly.

4. Complete and document new patient nutrition admit questionnaires into electronic medical records (EMR).

5. Manage and update the patient board to reflect accurate information. 

6. Assists in maintaining Dietary office records, reports, forms, and logs as required by department policies and regulatory standards. 

7. Check in, stock, and regularly rotate inventory in accordance with facility policies and state regulations. 

8. Clean and sanitize kitchen equipment, appliances, and work areas in accordance with facility policies and state regulations. 

9. Answer phone calls and communicate information to the appropriate team members.

10. Maintain PAR levels of kitchen supplies (ie. Gloves, office supplies, etc.) that are obtained from the on-site purchasing department. 

11. Pick up supply orders from local vendors.

12. Maintain online POS system and Dietary intranet page, including, but not limited to, entering new employees, updates of menu items, and general inventory.

13. Represent the Dietary department in the absence of the manager or shift lead.

14. In the absence of manager or shift lead, oversee kitchen operations and staff in accordance with facility policies and state regulations.

15. Fill in for kitchen staff in the absence of adequate staff or during inclement weather.

16. Communicate major discipline/conflict resolution needs to manager.

17. Create a positive work environment through teamwork, encouragement, integrity, and conflict resolution. 

18. Communicate clearly and respectfully with hospital patients, employees, and visitors.

19. Adapts to changing environment, e.g., staffing patterns and assignments. Required to work holidays as needed and subject to adjusted patient census schedule.

20. Adhere to all organization policies, including (but not limited to) job description, certification/licensure requirements, mission statement, HIPAA, confidentiality standards, and patients’ rights. 

21. Actively engage and stay updated with the organization’s communications and directives. 

22. Attend and participate in orientation, training, mandatory education, in-services, staff meetings, and education courses as instructed, to further improve knowledge and skills.

23. Assist the dietary team lead/manager in identifying and correcting problem areas regarding quality, safety, productivity, cost control, portion control, waste, etc. 

24. Assist the dietary team lead/manager with special projects and catering requests.

25. Other duties as assigned. 

 

 

 

EQUIPMENT:

Equipment in the dietary department includes, but is not limited to, the following: 

 

· Gas Stove/Oven Combo

· Convection Oven

· Commercial, Single-Rack Dishwasher

· Reach-In & Walk-In Freezers

· Reach-In Refrigerators

· Salad Bar/Refrigerator Combo 

· Conveyor Toaster 

· Various Domestic Kitchen Appliances

· Commercial Ice Machine/Water Dispenser

· Commercial Drink Dispenser

· Commercial Coffee Machine

· Three-Well Steam Table with Cold Well

· Point of Sale System with Online Store

· Sinks (Handwashing, 3-Compartment, Dish)

 

 

Requirements
   

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: 

· High school diploma or GED.

· Oklahoma Food Handlers Permit or obtained within 1 week of employment. 

· Prior clerical or food service experience.

· Ability to use a computer for, but not limited to, checking/sending emails, creating and printing various documents in Microsoft Word, the company payroll system, and organizational training programs. 

· Ability to read, understand, and communicate oral and written instructions.

 

 

 

EXPERIENCE/SKILLS PREFERRED:

· Administrative experience, including but not limited to, email correspondence, phone calls, and scanning, copying, and filing paperwork.

· Experience in a commercial kitchen. 

· Experience in healthcare or hospital setting.

· Knowledge of therapeutic diets and medical terminology.

· Ability to multitask efficiently, work in a fast-paced environment, and pay close attention to detail.

· Strong organizational skills.

 

 

 

WORK SHIFT(S):

· The Dietary department’s hours of operation are 5:30 am – 6:00 pm, 7 days a week. This position may be expected to work varying shifts within those hours to meet the department’s needs. Typical full-time 8-hour shifts include, but are not limited to:

 

5:30am – 2:00pm 

7:30am – 4:00pm 

6:30am – 3:00pm

 9:30am – 6:00pm

 

· Monthly department in-service training is a requirement of this position. Training typically takes place during scheduled shifts if possible. However, depending on need, more in-depth in-service training or team meetings may be required outside of normal Dietary operating hours. In-depth meetings would take place between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm.

 

 

 

RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION:

This position could have access to patient confidential records and must comply with HIPAA regulations as well as Compliance Policies.

 

 

 

WORKING CONDITIONS – PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

This position requires the following physical demands.

Occasional = 33% Frequent = 66% Continuous = 100%

· Continuous – must be able to be on feet walking, standing, and transporting/positioning food, equipment, and supplies for long periods of time.

· Continuous – must be able to lift and transfer a minimum of 50 pounds and apply a minimum of 50 pounds of push/pull force while using good body mechanics. 

· Continuous – must be able to reach, bend, and stretch while using good body mechanics.

· Continuous – must be able to use good listening, communication, and visual skills when navigating the kitchen and moving food, equipment, and supplies.

· Continuous – must be able to use various kitchen equipment safely.

· Frequent – must be able to remain calm under stress.

· Frequent – must be able to work in extreme temperatures, hot and cold.

· Occasional – must be able to work long hours, including some evenings, weekends, holidays, as needed.

· May be exposed to communicable diseases.

 

 

 

The above statements reflect the general details considered necessary to describe the principal function of the job as identified. They shall not be regarded as a detailed description of all work requirements inherent to this position.

*This is a safety-sensitive position*