Food & Nutrition Cafe

Advocate Health Care; Elgin (IL); On-site; USD 32,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Advocate Health Care is seeking an associate in patient food service to prepare, expedite, and deliver meals, assist with menu selections, and verify tray accuracy. You will communicate dietary needs to the diet office and ensure timeliness and confidentiality in service.

Experience in hospitality or customer service is preferred, with English proficiency required. The role involves working in a fast-paced hospital environment with strict safety and sanitation standards.

Qualifications

• Good command of English (read, write, speaking clearly).
• Experience in hospitality or customer service preferred.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced food service setting.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, expedite, validate and deliver patient meals and nourishments meeting standards.
• Assist patients with menu selection and ordering as needed.
• Communicate patient dietary needs to the diet office.
• Deliver and retrieve meal trays within the designated time frame.
• Verify accuracy of meals at point of service and maintain confidentiality.
• Follow safe food handling, sanitation, and recipe standards.

Skills

English proficiency

Customer service

Communication

Hospitality

Job description

Major Responsibilities

Associate is responsible for completing all duties that are listed on the task list ensuring the quality and accuracy of department operations by performing and monitoring daily food service related activities

• Accurately prepares, expedite, validates and delivers patient meals. nourishments, floor stock that meet patient and customer expectations, department standards and regulatory requirements.
• Assists the patient with menu selection/ordering, as needed.

Major Responsibilities

Associate is responsible for completing all duties that are listed on the task list ensuring the quality and accuracy of department operations by performing and monitoring daily food service related activities

• Accurately prepares, expedite, validates and delivers patient meals. nourishments, floor stock that meet patient and customer expectations, department standards and regulatory requirements.
• Assists the patient with menu selection/ordering, as needed.

Communicates the patients’ special meal requests or needs (i.e. likes and dislikes)to the diet office.

• Deliver & retrieves meal trays within the designated time frame.

Distributes patient meals trays; verifies accuracy at point of service. Check parameters for patient verification.

Assists the patient with opening containers, adjusting tray stand and removing lids as needed.

Collects patient meal trays.

• Communicates patient needs to nursing.

Communicates information about wrong or missing items to the kitchen.

• Ability to complete daily cafe and/or trayline related activities as outline in individual task sheets(ie, wiping tables, restocking service stations, cleaning and maintaining assigned areas, dishroom related activities)
• Responds promptly to telephone pages.

Maintains patient confidentiality during telephone communications and other discussions.

• Distributes patient menus according to respective patient diet as needed.
• Ability to perform cash related activities including but not limited too, cash collection, cash count reconcilation, accurate transaction input.
• Follow standardized reicpes, production standards, food safety process as applicable.

Patient And Customer Satisfaction

• Demonstrates a commitment to meeting patient and customer expectations.
• Demonstrates a commitment to service through personal example and prompt follow-up on opportunities to improve service.
• Demonstrates a “can do” attitude in all patient and customer interactions.
• Partners with hospital associates to meet patient and customer expectations for service.
• Rounds on patient weekly to determine overall satisfaction.

Communications

Demonstrates effective communication skills

• Collaborates with hospital departments and fellow associates to meet patient and customer expectations for service.
• Demonstrates accuracy and clarity in both verbal and written communications.
• Demonstrates sound decision-making; takes responsibility for decisions.
• Communicates pertinent patient and operational information to the appropriate resource for follow-up.
• Demonstrates a respect for the confidentiality of patient information.

Maintains HIPAA standards during all communications.

Safety And Sanitation

• Utilizes the appropriate safety technique in the performance of duties.
• Uses correct body mechanics in the performance of duties.
• Practices safety and sanitation techniques that meet department standards and regulatory requirements.
• Utilizes chemicals according to department and manufacturer guidelines.
• Practices “clean as you go” in day to day task assignments.

Department Standards

• Observes hospital/department guidelines concerning dress and display of name badge.
• Attends scheduled department meetings, inservices and other meetings as scheduled.
• Provides a high quality dining experience to patients/customers that meets their nutritional requirements and service expectations regarding temperature, timeliness and food quality.
• Utilizes performance improvement processes to identify, assess and evaluate areas for improvement.
• Additional or other duties may be assigned based on daily needs of the department (i.e. diet office, trayline, dishroom, cafe.) Education/Experience Required: 6 months to 1 year experience in hospitality industry or customer service experience preferable Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: Ability of speak, read and write English clearly and proficiently.

Ability to accurately count and perform basic mathematical functions

Ability to communicate effectively.

Ability to relate to a diverse audience of individuals. N/A

Physical Requirements And Working Conditions

Ability to walk for significant periods of time when going to patient's rooms.

Must stand or walk for long periods of time. Employees who work this position spend 100% of the time on their feet.

May be exposed to a variety of disagreeable conditions and stressful situations.

Moderate physical effort (lift up to 35 pounds and push up to 45 pounds of force).

Ability to rotate positions throughout the department. Frequent bending, stooping, reaching, lifting, climbing, kneeling.

Exposure to hazardous chemicals, sharp objects, heat, steam, refrigeration and freezer temperatures.

Must be willing and capable of working in a fast paced environment.

Ability to work flexible hours; evenings, weekdays, weekends and holidays. If position has direct patient care or direct patient contact the following lifting requirement supersedes any previous lifting requirement effective 06/01/2015.

Ability to lift up to 35 pounds without assistance. For patient lifts of over 35 pounds, or when patient is unable to assist with the lift, patient handling equipment is expected to be used, with at least one other associate, when available. Unique patient lifting/movement situations will be assessed on a case‑by‑case basis.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.