Nutrition Assistant I

St.-Mary-Medical-Cente; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Dignity Health - St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Nutrition Assistant to deliver high-quality food service to patients and staff.

You will prepare and deliver meals, assist in food preparation, and maintain a clean, safe dining environment while upholding dietary guidelines and patient-focused service. You will interact with patients to address dietary needs, maintain accurate food temperatures, and support inventory, cleaning, and occasional catering duties as part of a

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required at hire.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience acceptable.
• Customer service and food safety awareness preferred.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and deliver meal trays to patients and staff.
• Assist with food preparation and maintain cleanliness.
• Ensure food safety compliance and monitor temperatures.
• Interact with patients regarding dietary needs.
• Support cafeteria and catering tasks as needed.

Skills

Attention to detail

Food safety knowledge

Customer service

Education

High School Diploma

GED

Equivalent education/experience

Job description

Job Summary and Responsibilities

As our Nutrition Assistant, you will assist in delivering high-quality, safe, and efficient food services to patients and staff.

Every day you will prepare and deliver meal trays, assist with food preparation, maintain cleanliness, ensure food safety compliance, and interact with patients regarding dietary needs.

To be successful in this role, you must demonstrate meticulous attention to detail, strong food safety knowledge, and excellent customer service, contributing to a positive dining experience.

• Follows healthcare food service 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. Maintains proper labeling of food products and ensures storage of food equipment, and machinery per regulations & facility guidelines.
• Prepares and serves food within guidelines of menu & dietary requirements using required kitchen utensils and equipment. Maintains knowledge of recipe ingredients to respond to food allergy questions or requests.
• Follows organizational standards and guidelines for a high quality patient and customer experience. Ensures proper meal portioning and an aesthetically pleasing presentation
• May be responsible for one or more of the following:
• Cashiering
• Serving in the retail area
• Assembling, delivering and retrieving patient trays
• Performing cold food prep
• Performing utility assignments (e.g., dishwashing, washing pots & pans, maintaining equipment)
• Performing catering functions and or delivering/picking up catered food
• Supporting inventory maintenance duties
• Performing general cleaning of equipment and work areas (e.g., mopping, sweeping, emptying trash cans, etc.)

Job Requirements

Required:

• High School Graduate General Studies, upon hire or
• High School GED General Studies, upon hire or
• Equivalent combination of education and experience

Where You'll Work

Founded in 1923, Dignity Health - St. Mary Medical Center is a 389-bed, acute care, nonprofit hospital located in Long Beach, California. Serving over 80,000 patients annually, the hospital offers a full complement of services including a Level II Trauma Center, Level III NICU, heart care, and orthopedics. Additionally, St. Mary Medical Center has been recognized as an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality High Performer by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. It is a Joint Commission-certified Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center and received a Healthgrades 5-Star Award for Heart Failure in 2026.

One Community. One Mission. One California