Dietary Cook Full-time

Essential Functions

• Prepares and serves food using proper food handling and safety techniques for patients, employees, and special functions, resulting in foods that meets the nutritional guidelines and safety standards set forth in the department policies and procedures.
• Maintains a clean and safe working environment in accordance with established standards and regulations.
• Prepares food following department standardized recipes, planned menus, and policies and procedures.
• Serves and portions food per department standardized recipes, planned menus, and policies and procedures.
• Fulfills patient diet orders when serving food to patients.
• Follows standardized menus for patient and cafeteria food preparation.
• Makes only authorized changes to the planned menu and records the change according to established policy.
• Uses production sheets to direct preparation and quantity of food.
• Prepares and serves food at the proper temperature set forth by the FDA Food Code.
• Ensures food served to patients has been properly labeled per policy.
• Labels and stores food (including left-overs) properly according to proper cool-down techniques and established policies.
• Takes refrigerator/freezer temperatures twice a day and reports any temperatures out of range immediately to supervisor.
• Records temperatures on appropriate logs.
• Aids in receiving, storing, and verifying invoices for incoming food, supplies, etc. as indicated by the supervisor/manager.
• Ensures that an adequate supply of food, supplies, etc. is available at all times.
• Reports inadequate stock levels to the supervisor/manager in a timely manner.
• Uses food supplies and equipment in an efficient and economic manner to prevent waste.
• Keeps work area clean and uncluttered during preparation and service of food.
• Performs cleaning assignments according to established policies and utilizes the proper cleaning chemicals.
• Performs duties using proper infection control techniques and using protective equipment as needed.
• Washes dishes, pots, and pans according to established procedures for manual and/or automatic dishwashing.
• Takes dish machine temperature and/or sanitizer concentration prior to each use and records on log.
• Reports any problems with proper water temperature or sanitizer immediately to supervisor.
• Stores dishes, pots, and pans in the proper location, in a way to prevent contamination, and according to established standards.
• Operates equipment according to manufacturer and supervisory direction.
• Maintains equipment in clean and safe operating condition using appropriate safety measures and safety guards.
• Reports all equipment problems immediately to supervisor.
• Maintains the security of the department.
• Performs all duties using proper safety and sanitation techniques and wearing proper PPE.

Menu Management

• Checks for new diet orders, discharges, room changes prior to each meal tray line assembly in medical record.
• Passes selective menus to patients assisting the patient with completion if needed.
• Using menu management computerized program to add new admissions, update patient information, edit menus, enter patient selections, print menus or reports, and generate tray tickets.

Qualifications

• Education: High School Diploma or Equivalent including education equivalent to completion of secondary school or demonstrated ability to perform the essential functions of the role.
• Licenses/Certifications: Food Safety Certification from an accredited ANSI-CFP upon hire or within facility-specified time frame.
• Experience: 1+ years experience in quantity food production (hospital, nursing center, restaurant, hotel, or similar setting).
• Prior Experience: Prior experience with therapeutic diets.