Cook

Job Title

FTE/Scheduled Weekly Hours: 0.80 / 32 / 1st/2nd Shift (United States of America) First shift during the week. Second shift weekends (10:45 am to 7:16 pm) Every other holiday.

Primary Functions

Responsible for primary cooking duties, providing assistance in food production, patient food tray preparation and service, staff meal service, dishwashing, and department housekeeping.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

1. Food Preparation-primarily café service

• Follows recipes for preparation and portion control.
• Follows established guidelines for quality, appearance, and temperature of food served.
• Responsible for food preparation for optimum nutrient preservation, minimization of waste and efficient time management.
• Monitors food quantity and initiates need for back up options, maintaining appropriate levels of options.
• Labels, dates and rotates food per department guidelines.
• Informs manager or assistant of equipment, food, supply, or training needs.
• Preps and prepares main dishes for special functions.
• Provides input on café menu selection.

2. Patient Service

• Uses computer system appropriately to access patient diet information
• Utilizes the patient Diet Report to identify patient diet and/or specific nutrition interventions suggested by the Nutrition Therapist.
• Verifies accuracy and completeness of diet order with next shift; clarifies discrepancies with Nutrition Therapist or nursing.
• Adheres to diet prescription when filling menu order, when needed clarifies diet order with Nutrition Therapist or nursing.
• Assists with preparation of patient food trays and patient room service calls. Delivers trays to patient area/patient rooms as appropriate.
• Follows department policies and procedures for patient identification; uses two patient identifiers every time serves food to patient.

3. Café Service

• Assists in serving meals to staff and guests; responds when help is needed (buzzer).
• Cleans dining room service areas.
• Replenishes food and supply items as necessary during meal service.

4. Verification and Recording of Temperatures

• Checks and records temperature of equipment (dish machine, refrigerators, freezers, etc.) as designated on recording forms; alerts manager or assistant and Plant Services if temperatures are out of range.
• Checks and complies with all food temperature guidelines; alerts Supervisor if temperatures are not in range.

5. Sanitation

• Applies strict principles of sanitation, and infection control in the performance of duties.
• Complies with current sanitation guidelines for handling food and cleaning equipment.
• Checks equipment prior to use for cleanliness and proper functioning.
• Always cleans equipment after use.
• Adheres to assigned cleaning schedules.

6. Safety

• Always asks for help if any question about using equipment safely.
• Complies with strict safety regulations in the use of all equipment.
• Reports malfunctioning or defective equipment to assistant, Manager and Plant Services immediately.

7. Deliveries and Stocking and Rotation

• Checks in deliveries and puts stock away as needed.
• Stocks café items, and products for other patient care areas per par levels.

Minimum Requirements Education, Experience, and Training

• Must possess high school diploma or equivalent.
• Previous experience in healthcare or food service is preferred.
• Understanding of basic food preparation techniques is required.
• Willingness to complete training/coursework in sanitation is required.
• Ability to learn and navigate computer systems including the online training modules, the employee timesheet and the performance appraisal system. Job specific systems are also required.
• Must be able to read, speak, and write fluent English.

Physical Requirements

• Sitting – Not a requirement.
• Standing – Approximately 50% of shift.
• Walking – Approximately 50% of shift.
• Lifting – Approximately 50 pounds. Must use, and require others to use, when in hospital and/or pre-hospital settings, proper body mechanics and ergonomics and as applicable, lifting/moving devices.
• Twisting – Infrequent.
• Bending – Moderate.
• Squat/Kneel – Approximately 25% of shift.

Work Environment

1. May come in contact with hazardous chemicals or treatment modalities.

2. The possibility exists of exposure to communicable disease due to working in a healthcare environment.

3. Involvement in patient care may result in unavoidable work-related illnesses.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. A review of this description has excluded the marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of fundamental job duties. All duties and responsibilities are essential job functions. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by his/her manager.

Requirements are representative of the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and/or abilities. To perform this job successfully, the employee will possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees. All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" employment relationship with the Waverly Health Center.