Nutrition Assistant

Saint Joseph Medical Center - East Lexington•Lexington, KY

2d•$16 - $23•Onsite

About The Position

The Nutrition Assistant supports healthcare food service operations and works with facility staff to provide optimal nutritional care and excellent customer service to patients, guests, and staff. The role follows diet manuals, handbooks, and diet spreadsheets to ensure meals comply with prescribed therapeutic diet orders. The Nutrition Assistant prepares and serves food according to menus and dietary requirements using kitchen utensils and equipment. The role requires knowledge of recipe ingredients to answer food allergy questions and adherence to food-service standards, regulations, and procedures, including food-temperature monitoring, preventing cross-contamination, personal hygiene, food labeling, and proper storage of food, equipment, and machinery. The position supports a high-quality patient and customer experience through appropriate meal portions and presentation, service recovery, and escalation of concerns to leadership. Depending on assignment, duties may include following therapeutic diet and allergy guidelines for patient meals and supplements; using production tools or electronic meal tallies; explaining basic diet orders and menus; collecting and communicating patient food preferences; using diet-office software and electronic health records; and cleaning equipment and work areas. Other duties may be assigned by a leader.

Requirements

One year of food service experience.
High school diploma, GED, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
If required by state, county, or local health code, obtain a Food Handler Permit within 30 days of hire or within the timeframe required by the applicable health code.

Responsibilities

Support healthcare food service operations and work with facility staff to provide optimal nutritional care.
Provide customer service to patients, guests, and staff.
Follow diet manuals, handbooks, and diet spreadsheets to ensure meals comply with prescribed diet orders.
Prepare and serve food according to menus and dietary requirements using required kitchen utensils and equipment.
Maintain knowledge of recipe ingredients to respond to food allergy questions or requests.
Monitor and maintain food temperatures during cooking, holding, and storage.
Prevent cross-contamination, follow personal hygiene requirements, label food products properly, and store food, equipment, and machinery according to regulations and facility guidelines.
Ensure proper meal portioning and aesthetically pleasing presentation, provide service recovery, and escalate issues to leadership as needed.
Follow therapeutic diet modifications and allergy restrictions for patient meals, nourishment, snacks, and supplements, as assigned.
Use production tools or electronic meal tallies and differentials for food preparation, as assigned.
Explain basic therapeutic diet orders and menus, respond to patient and family questions, and escalate additional nutrition questions or needs to appropriate clinical support team members.
Collect patient food preferences and communicate them to the kitchen for timely menu planning while ensuring compliance with prescribed diet orders.
Operate electronic diet-office software and tools according to established procedures and protocols.
Navigate electronic health records to access patient diet orders and nutritional reports.
Clean equipment and work areas, including the tray line, equipment, coolers, and office area, and empty trash cans.
Perform other duties as assigned by the leader.