Cook - FT - (5am to 1pm & 11am to 7pm) - Ridgewood Manor Health and Rehabilitation

Food Service Associate

Assists with food preparation in accordance with our established procedural guidelines, and as may be directed by the Food Services Manager.

Licensure/Certification/Education Requirements:

A high school diploma or its equivalent preferred.

Other Training, Skills and Experience Requirements:

One (1) year food service experience in a hospital, skilled nursing care center, or other related medical center, preferred.

Attendance Requirements:

Non-exempt Status: May be required to work beyond normal working hours and on weekends and holidays when necessary. Subject to callback during any emergency.

Accountability:

Reports to Food Services Manager

Essential Skill/Knowledge Functions:

• Prepares various foods depending on menu created by dieticians for each meal of the day.
• Operates various kitchen equipment in preparation for the meal, e.g., mixer, meat slicer, food processor, oven, steamer.
• Cleans work surfaces following shift: sweeps floors, wipes down counter space, covers and stores unused foods.
• Creates meals that are appropriate for the elderly and in large quantities. Associate is required to use institutional-sized cookware.
• Works at a constant pace to ensure that food is ready for each meal of the day.
• Complies with infection control policies in work area.
• Keeps equipment clean at all times.
• May be required to fill in gaps in kitchen help.
• Reports any needed repairs to maintenance department.
• Reads and understands menus.
• Prepares meals in accordance with the menu and follow standardized recipes.
• Assists in the food service line to provide that diets are served as ordered (including specialized diets, likes and dislikes, therapeutic diets etc.)
• Monitors/serves meals with appropriate portion controls (scoops, ladles, etc.).
• Assists in processing diet changes and new diets.
• Provides that meals are prepared and served on time.
• Provides that substitutes are available for those who refuse foods served.
• Properly scrapes and washes dishes, pots, and pans.
• Records freezer and walk-in refrigerator temperatures in accordance with established procedures.
• Checks stock as needed.
• Puts up stock in appropriate manner
• Stores cleaning materials appropriately.
• Sets up tray line and performs tray line service.
• Returns trays to kitchen if requested.
• Understands diet orders.
• Follows NPO diet orders.
• Processes diet orders.
• Understands menu substitutions and records them in accordance with procedural guidelines.
• Properly stores leftovers/opened food.
• Makes coffee/tea as requested.
• Follows procedures for serving associate meals.
• Follows proper procedures for cleaning kitchen equipment such as, carts, tables, counters, ice machine, buckets, blender, mixer, meat slicer, freezer, refrigerator, stove, oven, steamer, garbage disposal, dish machine coffee/tea maker, steam table etc.
• Uses appropriate serving equipment (ladle, spoons, scoops etc).
• Checks and records water temperature (dishwasher, pot and pan sink etc).
• Checks dishwasher with sanitizer strips.
• Checks chemical levels and replaces if needed.
• Follows proper operating procedures of the steamer.

Essential Administrative Functions:

• Participate in Nursing Center surveys (Licensure / JCAHO) and any subsequently required reports.
• Attend and participate in continuing educational programs to keep abreast on changes in your field as well as to maintain current license/certification, as required.
• Attend and participate in mandatory in-services.
• Honor patient's rights to fair and equitable treatment, self-determination, individuality, privacy, property and civil rights, including the right to wage complaints.
• Comply with Corporate Compliance Program.
• Report job-related functions/tasks that involve occupational hazards including exposure to blood and body fluids and others as necessary.
• Follow established safety regulations, to include fire protection/prevention, smoking regulations, infection control, etc.
• Follow established safety procedures when performing job tasks and/or working with equipment.
• Perform other related duties as necessary and as directed by supervisor.
• Comply with all Privacy and Security programs.

Essential General Functions:

• Attendance
• Punctuality
• Professional Appearance
• Communicates well with patients and family members providing warm and friendly greeting and an approachable attitude to family/visitors/patients and responds to expressed concerns while displaying a helpful, caring demeanor, answers questions when appropriate in a professional manner.

Physical Activity Requirements:

Primary Physical Requirements:

• Lift up to 10 lbs.: Frequently required when preparing various food items and using kitchen equipment, e.g., cutting five-pound hams on industrial-sized slicer.
• Lift 11 to 25 lbs.: Occasionally to frequently required when lifting kitchen equipment filled with soups or stews.
• Lift 26 to 40 lbs.: Occasionally to frequently required when lifting 50-pound bags of potatoes. May receive assistance on items over 25 pounds.
• Lift over 40 lbs.: Not Required
• Carry up to 10 lbs.: Frequently required when carrying various food items within the kitchen area. (5 to 20 feet).
• Carry 11 to 25 lbs.: Frequently required to carry filled pot from one burner to another (2 to 5 feet).
• Carry 26 to 40 lbs.: Frequently required in carrying 50-pound bags of potatoes up to 5 to 15 feet. (For loads over 25 pounds may receive assistance.)
• Carry over 40 lbs.: Not required
• Reach above shoulder height: 4 feet.
• Reach at shoulder height: Frequently required while cooking.
• Reach below shoulder height: Frequently to constantly required while cleaning kitchen area.
• Push/Pull: 20 feet.

Hand Manipulation:

• Grasping: Frequently to constantly required while cooking and preparing food.
• Fingering: Infrequently may be required if center bakes own bread. (kneading bread).
• Handling: Frequently required while cooking and preparing food.
• Torquing: Infrequently required when adjusting knobs on slicer.

Other Physical Considerations:

• Twisting: Occasionally may occur while cooking.
• Bending: Occasionally may occur when required to clean lower shelves.
• Crawling: Not Required.
• Squatting: Occasionally may be required while cleaning or retrieving items from lower shelves.
• Kneeling: Not Required.
• Crouching: Not Required.
• Climbing: Occasionally required.
• Balancing: Occasionally.

During an 8 hour day, Associate is required to:

Consecutive Hours Total Hours

Sit 0 0

Stand 2 4

Walk 1 2

Work Surface: Tile floors and metal or wood counters.

Cognitive and Sensory Requirements:

• Talking: Necessary for communicating with others.
• Hearing: Necessary for taking instructions from others.
• Sight: Necessary for doing job correctly and effectively.
• Tasting & Smelling: Necessary for tasting quality of food products.