ChristianaCare is seeking a customer-focused and detail-oriented Diet Clerk I to support patient nutrition services and ensure an exceptional dining experience for patients. In this role, you will serve as a key liaison between patients, nursing staff, dietitians, and Food & Nutrition Services, ensuring meal selections align with physician-ordered diets and nutritional goals.

The Diet Clerk I plays an important role in patient satisfaction, meal service quality, dietary compliance, and nutrition support while assisting with departmental operations, training, and quality improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Review and oversee patient meal selections to ensure compliance with prescribed diets and nutritional requirements.
• Interview patients regarding meal satisfaction, nutrition concerns, and educational needs.
• Resolve food service issues and provide timely service recovery to ensure a positive patient experience.
• Collaborate with registered dietitians to support patients' nutritional status and care plans.
• Communicate with nursing staff to clarify diet orders and address patient nutrition concerns.
• Monitor delivery of tube feeding formulas and nutritional supplements and report patient tolerance issues as appropriate.

• Monitor patient meal assembly and tray line operations to ensure accuracy and quality.
• Evaluate meal reports and dietary records for accuracy and completeness.
• Assist with performance improvement initiatives, patient satisfaction surveys, and follow-up activities.
• Manage tray substitutions and menu-related concerns in collaboration with nutrition staff.
• Input requisitions for billing, process tray changes, and maintain accurate information within the CBORD system.
• Generate reports and maintain required documentation to support department operations.
• Process inventory, production sheets, and food service requisitions according to established procedures.

• Assist in training and onboarding new diet clerks, hostesses, and tray line personnel.
• Monitor daily workflow assignments and adjust staffing needs as appropriate.
• Provide support during meal service periods to promote teamwork and operational efficiency.
• Document and communicate performance-related concerns when necessary.

• Maintain compliance with ChristianaCare policies, food safety standards, regulatory requirements, and infection prevention guidelines.
• Uphold patient confidentiality and professional ethical standards.
• Report unsafe conditions, hazards, or policy violations promptly.
• Participate in required education, training, and departmental meetings.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Strong customer service and communication skills.
• Basic computer proficiency and data entry experience.
• Ability to work effectively with patients, families, and interdisciplinary healthcare teams.

• Coursework in Nutrition, Dietetics, Food Service Management, or a related field.
• Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) credential.
• Previous food service and clerical experience in a hospital or healthcare environment.
• Experience using CBORD or similar food service management systems.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Understanding of food and nutrition principles and modified diets.
• Knowledge of therapeutic diets for pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric populations.
• Ability to make therapeutic menu adjustments based on dietary requirements.
• Ability to calculate tube feeding formulations.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to educate patients on basic nutrition and dietary practices.

Work Environment

• Combination of hospital patient care areas and office settings.
• Frequent interaction with patients, families, nursing staff, providers, dietitians, and Food & Nutrition Services team members.
• Potential exposure to infectious diseases in a healthcare environment.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, bend, reach, lift, carry, push, pull, twist, and stoop throughout the workday.

Why Join ChristianaCare?

At ChristianaCare, our mission is rooted in Love and Excellence. We are dedicated to delivering exceptional patient care while fostering a respectful, collaborative, and inclusive work environment. If you are passionate about nutrition, customer service, and making a meaningful impact on the patient experience, we encourage you to apply.

Christiana Care Health System is an equal opportunity employer, firmly committed to prohibiting discrimination, whose staff is reflective of its community, and considers qualified applicants for open positions without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, disability, pregnancy, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Post End Date

EEO Posting Statement

ChristianaCare offers a competitive suite of employee benefits to maximize the wellness of you and your family, including health insurance, paid time off, retirement, an employee assistance program.  To learn more about our benefits for eligible positions visit https://careers.christianacare.org/benefits-compensation/