The Dietetic Technician is responsible for delivering high-quality, patient-centered nutrition services for all inpatients with active diet orders, ensuring both patient satisfaction and compliance with individualized medical nutrition therapy. This role communicates directly with patients (by telephone or at bedside), families, nursing, Food Services, Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, and other healthcare professionals to coordinate and optimize all aspects of meal service and nutrition education. This position upholds all privacy, safety, and regulatory standards.
Customer Focus
- Respond efficiently to a high volume of patient meal service requests via phone or bedside, particularly for patients with high nutritional risk or those requiring Room Service Assist (RSA), using portable computing devices as needed.
- Guide patients in choosing meals, nourishments, and supplements that meet nutritional needs and diet prescriptions, promoting satisfaction while maintaining clinical accuracy.
- Demonstrate a patient- and family-centered approach, maintaining professionalism and flexibility.
- Coordinate meal and nourishment delivery for unique inpatient, outpatient, and overflow units, ensuring accurate documentation and billing.
Communication
- Communicate clearly, respectfully, and professionally with patients, families, and all healthcare team members.
- Handle meal adjustments, substitutions, and tray issues with a commitment to outstanding customer service.
- Facilitate service recovery and resolution of food-related concerns in collaboration with Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, nurses, and managers.
- Demonstrate cultural competence and sensitivity when communicating, considering differences in language, age, background, and health status.
- Share enteral product intake/tolerance and other important nutrition information with appropriate staff, escalating questions as needed.
Nutrition Support
- Understand and interpret prescribed diet orders, assisting patients with compliant meal selections, and offering options such as half portions, menu modifications, or substitutions.
- Exercise sound judgment regarding approvals for flagged items, in collaboration with Nursing or other team members.
- Identify and address food allergies/intolerances, including those not coded in systems, and communicate effectively with kitchen and clinical staff.
- Provide basic nutrition counseling, such as cardiac diets and food/drug interactions, per protocol, ensuring documentation in MiChart and delivery of educational materials as appropriate.
- Manage inventory, ordering, preparation, delivery, and billing of tube feedings and oral supplements in CBORD and MiChart, based on patient-specific needs and unit par levels.
- Provide support for glucose management by notifying nursing staff of insulin-dependent patient meal orders and generating relevant reports for care coordination.
Operational and Systems Skills
- Utilize MiChart to verify patient information, track diet and allergy status, complete billing, and document critical alerts (e.g., suicide precautions, room service assist orders). Address and process items assigned to the Call Center worklist, ensuring timely and accurate follow-up.
- Use CBORD Nutrition Services Suite to oversee all meal service operations, including verifying diet orders, managing patient card files, confirming allergies, handling food orders and substitutions, managing safety alerts, and generating necessary reports. Update patient profiles and remove outdated information as needed.
- Field high volumes of patient calls and inquiries through Cisco Finesse, coordinating with clinical staff during outages or urgent situations, and ensuring accurate status updates.
- Accurately process and document meal and supplement services for all patient populations and settings.
- Perform the inventory, processing, labeling, and delivery of tube feedings and oral supplements in alignment with individual and unit requirements.
- Maintain and order nutrition and office supplies as required
Safety, Quality and Efficiency
- Practice all required safety protocols, including PPE use, hand hygiene, and the Joint Commissions two-patient identifier standards.
- Identify and manage safety risks, such as suicide precautions, and ensure proper meal delivery and documentation.
- Adhere strictly to departmental, Michigan Medicine, and regulatory policies and procedures.
- Maintain confidentiality and professionalism with all patient and organizational information.
MINIMUM EDUCATION/ EXPERIENCE:
- Associate's degree in Foods and Nutrition or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
PREFERRED QUALIIFCATIONS:
- Bachelors degree in Dietetics or related field.
- Work or volunteer experience related to healthcare and/or dietetics.
- Experience working in a high-volume call center.
- Experience working with CBORD Nutrition Services Suite.
- Demonstrated ability of strong problem-solving skills.
- Experience working with Epic or MiChart and CBORD software.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIREMENTS:
- Demonstrate excellent telephone etiquette and active listening skills, providing a patient- and family-centered experience.
- Collaborate effectively within a team to achieve departmental and organizational objectives.
- Confidently utilize technology, including EHRs, call management systems, and relevant software.
- Adapt readily to changing needs, tasks, and environments.
- Communicate with clarity, courtesy, and professionalism in both spoken and written interactions.
- Operate independently with strong time management and self-motivation.
- Exhibit a professional, positive attitude with patients, staff, and allied health professionals.
- Apply critical thinking to resolve patient concerns or system issues promptly.
- Follow directions carefully and ensure detailed, accurate documentation of patient interactions.
- Safeguard all patient information with strict confidentiality and respect for privacy regulations.
- Effectively manage multiple tasks while balancing patient requests, systems use, and team collaboration.
- Uphold all department and Michigan Medicine policies and the employee code of conduct.
- Capability to lift up to 15 pounds and remain mobile throughout the shift.
This is a 23 hour position
Friday-Monday
Friday-Saturday 5:00p-9:00p / Sunday-Monday 2:45p-10:45p
This position may be filled using an FLSA exempt or non-exempt designation.
This position is covered under the collective bargaining agreement between the U-M and the United Michigan Medicine Allied Professionals (UMMAP), which contains and settles all matters with respect to wages, benefits, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment.
Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background screenings. Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.
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