Culinary Associate

University of Missouri Health Care • Columbia, MO

2d • $17 - $24 • Onsite

About The Position

MU Health Care is looking for a talented and enthusiastic cook to join our Dining and Nutrition Services team. The ideal candidate will have a passion for culinary excellence and a commitment to providing outstanding customer service. We seek someone who can maintain a positive attitude, greet everyone with a smile, and uphold the highest standards of food safety and infection control. If you are eager to learn, adaptable, and ready to master new culinary skills, we want you! Join us in creating delicious, nutritious meals that make a difference in the lives of our patients and staff. Be part of a dynamic team that values excellence and supports your professional growth.

Requirements

• One (1) year of culinary experience.

Nice To Haves

• High school diploma or an equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities can be acquired.
• University of Missouri Food Handler’s Certificate within one (1) month.
• Additional license/certification requirements as determined by the hiring department.

Responsibilities

• Work with medical staff, other ancillary professional staff, departmental service staff, patients, visitors, and the general public.
• Use a high degree of professionalism focused on customer (patient and retail) satisfaction at all times.
• Use proper scripting while in contact with patients, family, and guests.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and the utmost privacy of patient information, as required by HIPAA guidelines and PCI requirements.
• Greet people with a smile and refrains from negative talk and public venting at all times while in MU Health Care facilities.
• Follow the directives of the Dining & Nutrition Services management team related to work assignments, workloads, and areas in need of improvement.
• Perform culinary activities within a health care environment, insure food safety and infection control guidelines are being met, cross contamination is avoided, nutrition guidelines for patients and customers are met, and perform all culinary related activities such as hot and cold food preparation; grill cook; production cooking; ingredient room production; catering production; retail production; room service production; line cooking; expediting; and baking.
• May also be required to cashier; serve as a physician’s dining room attendant; catering attendant; barista; line server; or patient tray assembly or other duties as assigned to support the functions of the Dining and Nutrition Services Department.
• Perform cleaning and sanitation routines in an acute setting, including but not limited to patient kitchen, retail kitchens, and shared (patient/retail) resource kitchens, and public dining rooms according to proper food safety procedures and standards and hospital-specific standard precautions.
• Follow proper infection control and PPE guidelines for the removal of food debris and items contaminated with body substances (i.e., saliva, blood, etc.) from soiled patient trays.
• Maintain and operate kitchen equipment in a safe manner according to guidelines.
• Report any food safety, environmental safety, or security/PCI/HIPAA issues discovered promptly to the supervisor.
• Recognize patient nutrition requirements and report any variances to the supervisor.
• Ensure food safety with compliance with temperature standards, monitoring of temperatures (cooking, serving, and refrigeration), date labeling, and rotation of stock.
• Ensure the safety of both food supply and nutrition care at all times.
• May be requested to assist Nutrition Associates as needed for the development of staff or staff relief.
• Keep equipment and area clean, sanitized, restocked, and in good working condition at the end of the shift.
• Maintain the work area in a safe and clean manner according to regulatory agencies.
• Ensure the work area is inspection-ready from any regulating agency.
• Take immediate action to correct any deficient area when notified by a supervisor or from inspections such as tracer findings, university sanitarian, DNV, and CMS.
• May complete unit/department-specific duties as outlined in department documents.

Benefits

• Health, vision and dental insurance coverage starting day one
• Generous paid leave and paid time off, including nine holidays
• Multiple retirement options, including 100% matching up to 8% and full vesting in three years
• Tuition assistance for employees (75%) and immediate family members (50%)
• Discounts on cell phone plans, rental cars, gyms, hotels and more

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED