The Veterans Health Administration has adopted the Nutrition and Food Service Modernization Initiative which is a new model of organizing and consolidating essential Nutrition and Food Service functions and services to the Medical Center. This streamlined and focused approach moves VHA forward in its continuum of providing comprehensive, compassionate, and coordinated care to Veterans.

Duties

Major duties are below but not limited to: Practices excellent customer service skills in all forms of communication, either via telephone, e-mail or in-person. Practices proper business telephone etiquette while answering the phone. Communicates with customers, will be pleasant, friendly, personable, and professional. Welcomes 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. Considers both verbal and nonverbal aspects of communication. Maintains the vital connection between Nutrition Communication Center (NCC) Associates, Registered Dietitian, higher graded dietetic technicians, food service staff, Nursing, patients and guests. NCC Associates will follow local-facility policies and standard procedures for patient feeding, including but not limited to missed patient meals, late tray requests, patient meal ordering, and adherence to prescribed therapeutic diet. NCC Associate will take whatever action necessary, within their authority, to maximize patient satisfaction with meal service. NCC Associate prints, prepares and reviews meal tickets according to local facility procedures. NCC Associate completes select and non-select menus as required. Triages calls from inpatient units or outpatient clinics and procedure areas relating to patient meal trays or nourishments at the lowest level. Will refer issues that cannot be resolved to Food Service Supervisor or other as determined by local policy. Retrieve computerized information/printouts to assist with tray and/or nourishment assembly such as standing orders, nourishment labels, tabulated recipe lists, and other simple information to assist in meal delivery. Organizes work to complete assignments. Has thorough knowledge of basic and routine modified diets and is able to provide basic level education and information on local facility therapeutic diets to patients, guests, and nursing staff. Makes referrals to dietetic technician and/or dietitian as needed for more thorough diet education. Completes quality monitors to ensure food items and menu selections for regular and therapeutic diets are prepared and served appropriately (i.e. accuracy, timeliness, appearance, and temperature, dysphagia food testing). 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. 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. Provide Veterans, guest/family members, VA employees (i.e. nursing staff) with basic information about the menu, available food items. Refers concerns on compliance problems or appetite to supervisor and/or dietitian. Has working knowledge of diet principles, such as carbohydrate counting for meal planning. Conducts new-admit patient rounding to introduce and discuss, menu available food items and ways to order meals with patients and residents. Conducts meal rounds on units after tray delivery to ensure patient satisfaction and provides service recovery and meal corrections when needed. Participates in Patient Satisfaction Survey process, from collection of data to making corrective actions based on results. Assists with Cultural Transformation activities when food is being served to assure patient safety is maintained. Perform other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Variable with rotating days off Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD99796S Physical Requirements: Applicants must be physically able to perform work requiring light to moderate physical effort. They are subject to continuous standing and walking, and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. English Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Health Technician (Dietetic), GS-5 position: Candidate must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal Service that has given them the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Health Technician (Dietetics). Qualifying specialized experience includes: Experience where they applied knowledge of quantity food service operations, proper nutrition, food items and appropriate quantities; working with clients, patients, and/or, customers to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; use computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work. OR Education : 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. OR Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. Candidates who meet the education requirements described above are fully qualified for the GS-4 level. To qualify for higher grades, candidates must have had progressively responsible experience in the field of clinical dietetic technology in which they have demonstrated successful use of the KSAOs listed in the General Requirements section of this standard. Candidates for GS-5 positions must have at least six months of specialized experience equivalent to GS-4. Candidates for GS-5 and above must have at least 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grad GS-05 grade level: only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to 1 year of specialized experience. Determine the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required at the GS-4 level. Then determine the applicant's education as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for GS-5. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for GS-5. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Specialized Experience: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Applicants who have the 1 year of appropriate specialized experience, as indicated in the table, are not required by this standard to have general experience, education above the high school level, or any additional specialized experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Contacts

• Address San Diego VA Medical Center 3350 La Jolla Village Drive San Diego, CA 92161 US
• Name: Maria Quiles
• Phone: (352) 278 - 0482
• Email: [email protected]