Catering Associate (Part-Time)

Western Missouri Medical Center•Warrensburg, MO

About The Position

The Catering Associate is responsible for patient food service on assigned units. Duties include taking menu selections, assembling and delivering trays, picking up trays, responding to special requests and needs, and delivering food between meals. The role works with patients and nursing staff to support patient food needs, dietary restrictions, and satisfaction while following patient privacy, food safety, sanitation, infection control, and facility safety procedures. The position also requires maintaining patient information, assisting the dietitian with monitoring certain patients, completing reports, attending meetings and staff development activities as appropriate, and maintaining regular and predictable attendance.

Requirements

High school education, up to one month of related experience or training, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Ability to read and interpret safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals; write routine reports and correspondence; and communicate effectively in one-on-one and small-group settings with patients, families, and associates.
Ability to perform arithmetic with whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals, and to compute ratios and percentages.
Ability to operate the hospital’s admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT) system and other computer-based systems used to manage patient-care records.
Ability to use common-sense understanding to carry out written or oral instructions and solve problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
Self-motivation and ability to work within established hospital or clinic policies, procedures, and practices.
Ability to sit and stand intermittently for 8 to 10 hours per day.
Ability to use standard office equipment, including a telephone and computer keyboard.
Ability to work under pressure while maintaining near-100% accuracy and meeting inflexible deadlines.
Manual and bimanual dexterity, near vision, speech, and hearing; eye-hand coordination and color definition.
Ability to stand, walk, and sit frequently; occasionally reach above the shoulder and walk on uneven surfaces; regularly lift or carry up to 40 pounds; and occasionally lift or move up to 100 pounds.
Ability to perform duties that may involve climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, and tasting or smelling.

Responsibilities

Introduce the Catering to You program to patients and provide friendly, caring service when taking selections, delivering trays, conducting catering rounds, and retrieving trays.
Take patients’ menu selections before each meal.
Follow dietary restrictions and special or modified diet orders while accommodating food preferences within diet-order limitations.
Offer menu alternatives consistent with prescribed diets and patients’ allergies, sensitivities, and cultural, ethnic, or religious preferences.
Assemble trays accurately and promptly according to patient menu selections and tray tickets.
Operate a cash register or point-of-sale device during serving periods as needed.
Interact with nursing staff to confirm diet prescriptions and meet patients’ food needs.
Conduct catering rounds after tray delivery and retrieve trays shortly after completing rounds.
Maintain accurate, current information for patients on assigned units.
Assist the dietitian with monitoring patients who are NPO, on liquid diets, or have a calorie count ordered.
Report patient-related problems or concerns promptly according to departmental procedures.
Follow facility confidentiality and patient-rights policies, including HIPAA policies and procedures.
Contribute to patient satisfaction by providing quality service.
Comply with applicable health and sanitation regulations and departmental sanitation procedures; maintain a clean, sanitary work environment.
Follow HACCP guidelines when assembling and distributing food supplies.
Complete required daily, weekly, or monthly reports on time and meet prescribed deadlines.
Use cleaning chemicals according to manufacturer directions and MSDS sheets.
Use equipment according to departmental safety procedures and follow facility and departmental safety and incident-reporting procedures.
Follow infection-control policies, hazardous materials and waste protocols, emergency preparedness procedures, and life-safety procedures; participate in drills as appropriate.
Respond to utility failures according to department guidelines.
Attend departmental meetings and staff development programs as appropriate.
Maintain a pleasant, cheerful, and helpful demeanor toward employees, physicians, patients, and visitors.
Read and comply with applicable Morrison and Compass policies and procedures.
Perform other assigned tasks and maintain regular, predictable attendance.