Food Service Worker

Gila Regional Medical Center•Silver City, NM

25d

About The Position

The Food Service Worker assists patients with menu selection and delivers meals in a timely manner while providing excellent customer service. Duties may include food preparation, serving and delivery; kitchen sanitation and dishwashing; stocking; cashiering; and customer service. The role interacts with Nursing, assists the Dietician with monitoring patient restrictions, and communicates with Food Service to accommodate food preferences alongside nutritional requirements and dietary restrictions. The position prepares and serves food according to health rules and regulations, established handling practices, and sanitation standards. It supports menu delivery, production planning, patient tray assembly and meal delivery, floor-stock replenishment, inventory, cashiering, and cleaning. The worker helps ensure patients receive meals that meet physician-prescribed diets, monitors and documents food intake and response to care, and serves as a liaison among patients, the Food and Nutrition Department, and Nursing. The role also requires compliance with HIPAA, facility emergency preparedness, OSHA, and other applicable mandatory programs.

Requirements

Prior kitchen sanitation experience and knowledge of safety and sanitation rules and practices.
Ability to operate a cash register or cash-handling computer system effectively.
All required documents must be presented at the time of hire.
External applicants must successfully complete pre-employment drug and alcohol testing.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or GED preferred.
Prior professional cooking experience and knowledge of commercial food preparation and handling techniques preferred.

Responsibilities

Prepare and serve food according to health rules, regulations, and established handling practices and procedures.
Maintain high standards for food quality and presentation.
Deliver and collect menus in a timely manner.
Determine required quantities and types of food and supplies using production systems.
Plan food production around meal service times to preserve food quality, temperature, and appearance.
Store food properly, label items with dates, rotate stock, and break down boxes.
Follow food preparation, handling, sanitation, health, and personal hygiene standards.
Provide menus and explain room-service processes, food choices, and service times to patients and families.
Replenish floor stock using floor-stock forms, account for requested items, notify the manager about unavailable items, and discuss discrepancies with the dietary manager.
Keep floor refrigerators clean and discard open containers and expired items.
Provide meals and snacks within diet orders; observe and document food intake and response to care; and liaise among patients, the Food and Nutrition Department, and Nursing.
Ensure patients on physician-prescribed diets receive meals suited to their needs and preferences, and check after tray delivery for additional dietary needs.
Assist with patient tray assembly and transport food carts between the kitchen and nursing units while maintaining hot- and cold-food temperatures.
Transport soiled carts and empty racks between the dish room and nursing units.
Clean and sanitize kitchen, serving, and dining areas; clean and return cookware, dishes, flatware, trays, storage containers, utensils, and equipment in a timely manner according to CNS standards and policies.
Set up and maintain a three-compartment sink, change its water, maintain chemical additive levels, check soap supplies, and use test strips to verify sanitizer levels.
Perform cashier functions, including sales, making change, reconciliation, and reporting.
Inventory and maintain supplies.
Keep towels and soap dispensers clean and stocked throughout the shift.
Provide excellent customer service.
Understand and follow HIPAA policies for protected patient or resident health information.
Follow the facility's Emergency Preparedness Program, OSHA requirements, and other applicable mandatory facility programs.
Perform additional duties as assigned.