Catering Associate

Riverside Healthcare • Kankakee, IL

17d • $16 - $20

About The Position

The Catering Associate at Riverside Healthcare is responsible for ensuring exceptional patient meal service across assigned units. This role involves coordinating patient menu selections, assembling and delivering trays, addressing special dietary needs, and handling in-between meal requests. The Catering Associate serves as a key liaison between the Food & Nutrition Services department and nursing staff to ensure patients dietary requirements are met accurately and in a timely manner, especially for those on physician-ordered modified diets. The role also requires adherence to infection control and sanitation standards, ensuring patient satisfaction, and contributing to the overall quality of care. Demonstrates flexibility with assignments within professional scope/duties/licensure.

Requirements

• On-the-job training provided.
• Ability to read, write, and speak English; additional language skills may be beneficial.
• Ability to pass a written test on modified diets provided by clinical staff.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of dietary restrictions, infection control, and sanitation best practices.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate patient meal service, including menu selection, tray assembly, delivery, and pick-up on assigned units.
• Address and communicate patient food issues, concerns, and requests to Food & Nutrition Services.
• Collaborate with nursing staff to ensure compliance with patients' nutritional needs and unit food service requirements.
• Respond to changes and special requests to maintain efficient timing and accuracy of meal services.
• Understand and accommodate dietary restrictions based on physician-prescribed diets to ensure food preferences align with medical guidelines.
• Ensure patient satisfaction, reflected in internal and external surveys, by offering alternatives within dietary limitations.
• Maintain up-to-date patient meal information on assigned units, ensuring accuracy for all meal services.
• Demonstrate knowledge of infection control and sanitation practices, including food and refrigeration temperatures, hand washing, glove use, and proper food dating.
• Provide quality service in accordance with cultural, ethnic, and religious food preferences.
• Assist with routine cleaning tasks as assigned, ensuring compliance with job flow standards.
• Perform patient care duties as required, aligning with job flow standards.
• Participate in training and staff meetings to stay updated on best practices and departmental updates.

Benefits

• Riverside Healthcare offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and nationally rated employee well-being programs, competitive compensation, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so your journey at and away from work is remarkable.
• Our Total Rewards package includes:
• Compensation Base compensation within the position’s pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training Premium pay such as shift differential, on-call Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits Paid Leave Hours accrued as you work

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed