PATIENT DINING ASSOCIATE

We believe a career is more than just a career - it's a calling. Our teammates' "True North" is what calls them to health care; it’s their passion. At North Mississippi Health Services, we believe in helping you leverage and connect that passion with a much greater purpose that impacts people you know and love.

Department: 10008010 Food and Nutrition

Hospital Work Shift: Full Time

The Patient Dining Associate at North Mississippi Health Services is responsible for ensuring all patients receive accurate and timely meal and nutritional service, including assembling and validating patient trays, assisting with maintenance of floor stock nourishment, and supporting patients in menu navigation as needed.

This role requires strong communication and organizational skills to interface effectively with internal and external stakeholders and customers, drive sanitation and food safety compliance, and manage task execution with efficient use of time, budget, and resources to provide safe and high quality meal and nutritional service.

JOB FUNCTIONS

Basic Requirements

• Checks assigned patient trays for diet order accuracy start re-therm cycle & assist with beverage service to ensure timely meal service.
• Checks meal carts at nursing station to ensure accuracy.
• Distributes and retrieves patient and guest trays.
• Assembles and distributes patient snacks, nutritional supplements and enteral feeding products.
• Reads and passes correct select menus per the diet order, assists patients with menus when needed and retrieval of select menus as necessary.
• Fills and delivers floor stock nourishment orders to nursing units.
• Interacts effectively with customers of NMMC on a daily basis in a service role.
• Supports the Hospital's and Department's goals and objectives.
• Demonstrates adherence to NMHS' Mission, Vision and Values Statement & to Service Excellence Standards and serves as a role model to staff.

Communications

• Interfaces with all internal & external customers to insure high customer satisfaction.
• Remains responsible for internal and external customer services to best meet needs of patients and customers.
• Compiles and submits data and reports appropriately and on a timely basis.
• Communicates effectively and timely with all internal & external customers.

Budget

• Ensures most efficient use of food and supplies.

Safe Food Handling & Sanitation

• Follows proper food safety procedures and proper documentation of required monitors.
• Cleans & sanitizes all assigned areas to meet the State Board of Health Standards.
• Remains responsible for actively participating in FNS' HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) Program.
• Effectively assists in the maintaining assigned HACCP monitors -and all other departmental documents.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Must have the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Must be able to speak and read English.
• Must be customer oriented and able to deal effectively with internal and external customers.
• Must have legible handwriting.
• Must possess effective communication skills to promote medical center.
• Must have basic computer skills.
• Must be a self starter, work independently, balance a variety tasks and to organize tasks and staff.
• Must possess time management and organizational skills necessary in order to plan work flow to meet all assigned duties.
• Must maintain and improve physical resources.
• Must maintain all assigned records.
• Must consistently seek to improve customer services and products.
• Must support and participate in Quality Process Improvement and HACCP / Food Safety activities.
• Must maintain a high level of adherence to the Hospital's Value Statement Values & Service Excellence Standards.
• Must present a professional appearance.
• Must use their time and energy positively.
• Must take concerns to the person who has the authority to correct them.
• Must interface effectively with all customers.
• Must work well with others and on their own.
• Must make multiple daily visits to patient rooms (50-70 patients per day) to provide patient and guest food service.
• Must have daily interaction with nursing staff to provide accurate tray service, handle requests and solve complaints.
• Must have frequent interaction with clinical dietitians, diet office clerks & Food Court staff to coordinate service and meet patient nutritional needs.
• Must resolve customer complaints appropriately and effectively.
• Must work cooperatively with fellow team members to ensure positive and productive work atmosphere.
• Must regularly recognize and acknowledge staff for a job well done.
• Must demonstrate a positive, caring attitude toward all customers, patients, staff and public served.
• Must interact effectively with all internal & external customers; patients, staff, physicians and public.

Physical Demands

• Standing. Constantly
• Walking. Frequently
• Sitting. Rarely
• Lifting/Carrying. Frequently 50 lbs
• Pushing/Pulling. Frequently
• Climbing. occasionally
• Balancing. occasionally
• Stooping/Kneeling/Bending. Frequently
• Reaching/Over Head Work. Frequently
• Grasping. Frequently
• Speaking. occasionally
• Hearing. Constantly
• Repetitive Motions. Constantly
• Eye/Hand/Foot Coordinations. Frequently

Salary Range: $15.07 - $22.61

Education: High School Diploma, GED, or Project Search Graduate

North Mississippi Health Services is a large rural health care system with state-of-the-art facilities in Mississippi and Alabama. We have career opportunities ranging from inpatient hospital care to 70+ rural health and specialty clinics, a variety of outpatient, women's and behavioral health services and many additional support services. Our team of over 7,000 works together every day toward our shared mission - to continuously improve the health of the people of our region.