Nutrition Assistant

Saint Joseph Hospital - Lexington•Lexington, KY

6d•$15 - $21

About The Position

The Nutrition Assistant helps deliver high-quality, safe, and efficient food services to patients and staff. The role includes preparing and delivering meal trays, assisting with food preparation, maintaining cleanliness, complying with food safety requirements, and interacting with patients about dietary needs. The Nutrition Assistant contributes to a positive dining experience through attention to detail, food safety knowledge, and customer service. The position follows healthcare foodservice standards, regulations, guidelines, and procedures, including monitoring food temperatures during cooking, holding, and storage; preventing cross-contamination; meeting personal hygiene requirements; labeling food products correctly; and storing food, equipment, and machinery according to regulations and facility guidelines. It prepares and serves food according to menus and dietary requirements, uses required kitchen utensils and equipment, and maintains knowledge of recipe ingredients to answer questions about food allergies. The role also follows organizational standards for patient and customer experience, including proper meal portions and appealing presentation. Depending on assignment, duties may include cashiering, retail-area service, assembling and delivering or retrieving patient trays, cold food preparation, utility work such as dishwashing and washing pots and pans, maintaining equipment, catering duties, inventory support, and cleaning equipment and work areas.

Requirements

One year of food service or customer service experience.
Obtain a Kentucky Food Handler Permit within 30 days or obtain ServSafe Certification within 30 days.

Nice To Haves

High school graduate in General Studies upon hire, or a high school GED in General Studies upon hire.
Cashier experience.

Responsibilities

Monitor and maintain food temperatures during cooking, holding, and storage.
Prevent food cross-contamination and follow personal hygiene requirements.
Label food products properly and store food, equipment, and machinery according to regulations and facility guidelines.
Prepare and serve food according to menus and dietary requirements using required kitchen utensils and equipment.
Know recipe ingredients to respond to questions or requests about food allergies.
Ensure proper meal portioning and appealing presentation while following organizational standards for patient and customer experience.
Perform assigned duties that may include cashiering or serving in the retail area.
Assemble, deliver, and retrieve patient meal trays as assigned.
Perform cold food preparation as assigned.
Perform utility duties, including dishwashing, washing pots and pans, and maintaining equipment, as assigned.
Perform catering functions and deliver or pick up catered food as assigned.
Support inventory maintenance duties as assigned.
Clean equipment and work areas, including mopping, sweeping, and emptying trash cans, as assigned.