Food Service Aide, Food Services

Heywood-Hospital; Gardner (MA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 33,000; Part time

Job summary

Heywood Healthcare in Gardner, MA is hiring a per diem Food Service Worker to support patient meal service in various units. This role involves assembling meals, stocking, and maintaining kitchen cleanliness in a hospital setting.

You will prepare sandwiches, portions, and beverages, while following written instructions and upholding safety standards in a busy environment. Per diem schedule includes day/evening shifts with alternating weekends.

Qualifications

• Prior healthcare food service or restaurant experience desirable.
• Must be able to follow written instruction.
• Capable of working in a busy environment.
• Knowledge of weights, measurements, and basic math.

Responsibilities

• Interact with patients and staff in a friendly, courteous manner.
• Assist in meal preparation and tray assembly.
• Maintain clean and sanitized kitchens and serving areas.
• Ensure timely delivery of meals and correct portioning.
• Respond to emergencies and maintain safety.

Skills

Food service

Attention to detail

Written instructions

Math knowledge

Job description

Overview

You Matter Here!Heywood Healthcare values our employees! We offer competitive wages, great benefits and generous earned time off. Come work where you will matter!

Hours: Per Diem, Day/Evening shift, Every other weekend, Every other holiday

$18.00 - $24.16

Disclaimer:

We are committed to equitable and transparent compensation practices. The salary range for this position reflects our good‑faith estimate of base pay at the time of posting. Final compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity. We regularly review our compensation structures to ensure fairness and consistency across our organization.

Job Summary

Works in patient tray assembly area, cafeteria, dish room, pot room, and food prep areas. Fills in for grill cook and cold prep person as required, and also performs general cleaning and stocking duties.

Responsibilities

Essential Functions

• Conducts interactions with everyone in a friendly, courteous and respectful manner.
• Goes out of his/her way to offer assistance to others. If he/she cannot offer assistance, then finds someone who can.
• Advocates to ensure privacy and confidentiality while helping others to maintain awareness.\Maintains a clean and safe hospital.
• Responds appropriately and immediately in emergency situations.
• Maintains a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors, and/or staff to provide the highest level of physical comfort, and minimize risk and injury.
• Ensures compliance with regulations to maintain accreditation and licensure.
• Complies with the Hospital Attendance and Tardiness Policy
• Completed all Hospital and Department Specific Mandatory requirements in the prior calendar year.
• Reports Incidents in a timely and effective manner.
• All employees with direct patient contact are responsible for actively engaging in the practice of, monitoring and enforcing compliance to hand hygiene.
• Works together with departmental teams.
• Maintains a clean and comfortable environment for patients and visitors.
• Removes or arranges for removal of safety hazards from environment immediately to prevent potential safety hazards from occurring.
• Prioritizes work based on the changing needs of the customers.
• Keeps equipment in clean and working condition at all times.
• Ensures necessary materials and supplies are on hand to complete daily assignments.
• Portions desserts, stocks refrigerators with milk, juices, desserts, beverages, and condiments, as well as, brews coffee and stock lines with disposables.
• Prepares sandwiches according to patient menu choices.
• Places cold food, beverages, condiments, and utensils on the trays.
• Portions hot food onto plates, places sandwiches and plate garnish on trays.
• Unsets food carts, clears cafeteria conveyor belt, loads dishes, glasses, and flatware into racks and feeds them into the dish machine, as well as, unloads clean dishes, glasses and flatware from racks and returns them to service.
• Records dish machine wash and rinse temperatures on the posted wall chart at each meal and reports improper temperatures to the supervisor.
• Ensures floor stock and transfers are delivered to patient care units and other departments according to par levels or order forms and ensures late trays are delivered to patient care units and outpatient areas as ordered.
• Ensures celebration meals are setup and delivered to the Obstetrics Department as requested.
• Ensures worktables, shelving and storage cabinets are cleaned and sanitized according to the posted schedule so inspections by DPH, DMH, JCAHO and the local Board of Health are without violations or deficiencies.
• Ensures dish room tables, work sinks, and utility carts are cleaned after being used so inspections by DPH, DMH, JCAHO and the local Board of Health are without violations or deficiencies.

Statement of Other Duties

This document describes the major duties and responsibilities for this job, and is not intended to be a complete list of all tasks and functions. It should be understood, therefore, that employees may be asked to perform job-related duties beyond those explicitly described.

Functional Demands

Physical RequirementsExerts 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Frequently reaches (extending hands and arms in any direction), and handles (seizing, holding, grasping, turning or working with hands). Frequently stoops (bending the body downward and forward by bending the spine at the waist). Tastes/smells (distinguishing, with a degree of accuracy, differences or similarities in intensity or quality of flavors and/or odors, recognizing particular flavors and/or odors, using tongue and/or nose).

Organizational Expectations

Behavioral AttributesThe following behavioral attributes are required: achievement motivation, concern for order, flexibility, initiative, self-confidence, customer service oriented, interpersonal effectiveness, teamwork, analytical thinking and information seeking.

Qualifications

Job Requirements

Minimum Work Experience

• Prior healthcare food service or restaurant experience desirable

Required Skills

• Must be able to follow written instruction
• Capable of working in a busy environment
• Knowledge of weights, measurements, and basic math