Cook

Mercy Hospital Of Bakersfield; Bakersfield (CA); On-site; USD 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Dignity Health - Mercy Hospital is seeking a Cook to prepare patient, staff, and visitor meals in a healthcare setting in Bakersfield, CA. You will follow strict food safety standards and therapeutic diet guidelines to ensure high-quality, safe meals across multiple patient diets.

The role requires experience in high-volume meal preparation, adherence to healthcare regulations, and a commitment to culinary excellence in a fast-paced hospital environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in preparing meals in a healthcare setting.
• Knowledge of state/federal food prep regulations in healthcare.

Responsibilities

• Prepares and serves meals according to menu and dietary needs, using standard kitchen equipment.
• Monitors food temperatures and prevents cross-contamination.
• Maintains proper labeling and storage of foods and equipment.
• Ensures sanitation and cleanliness in cooking and serving areas.

Skills

High-volume cooking

Food safety

Therapeutic diets knowledge

Hygiene standards

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Job Summary and Responsibilities

As our Cook, you will be essential to patient, staff, and visitor well-being by preparing high-quality, safe, and delicious meals, including those for multiple therapeutic diets. You will meticulously adhere to all state and federal food preparation regulations in a healthcare environment.

Every day you will follow safe cooking techniques, execute recipes with precision, and apply rigorous quality control to ensure consistent food quality and adherence.

To be successful in this role, you will possess proven experience in high-volume food preparation, a strong understanding of food safety and therapeutic diets, and a commitment to culinary excellence within a fast-paced setting.

Essential Key Job Responsibilities

1. Prepares and serves food within guidelines of menu and dietary requirements, using required kitchen utensils and equipment such as slicers, mixers, ovens, fryers, steamers, stove tops, and grills, etc. Modifies preparations to account for food allergies.
2. Follows healthcare foodservice industry standards, regulations, guidelines and procedures including monitoring and maintaining food temperatures during cooking, holding, and storage processes. Avoids cross-contamination of foods and adheres to personal hygiene requirements.
3. Maintains labeling and storage of food, equipment, and machinery.
4. Performs washing and cleaning duties to ensure sanitation & cleanliness in cooking and serving areas.
5. Other duties as assigned by leader.

Job Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

• One (1) year food service experience
• High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent combination of education and experience

Where You'll Work

Founded in 1910, Dignity Health - Mercy Hospital is a 229-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in Bakersfield, California. Serving nearly 90,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including Level II NICU, cancer care, women’s health, and orthopedics. Additionally, Mercy Hospital Downtown & Mercy Hospital Southwest have been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. They are both Joint Commission-certified Primary Stroke Centers. Mercy Hospital Downtown offers the only inpatient Oncology Unit in Bakersfield while Mercy Hospital Southwest has the only Obstetric Emergency Department in Bakersfield.

One Community. One Mission. One California