Patient Meal Preparer/Cook

The University of Kansas Health System; North Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 27,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Kansas Health System is seeking a Cook/Dietary Aide to support patient, visitor, and staff meal preparation. Under supervision, you will read orders, prepare meals, and ensure diets are followed while maintaining clean, sanitized work areas.

You will coordinate with dieticians and nursing staff to resolve any diet-related issues and support efficient hospital food service operations. The role requires teamwork, reliability, and adherence to hospital policies.

Qualifications

• 1 or more years of experience as a cook, dietary aide, or food service.

Responsibilities

• Prepares and cooks to order foods requiring short preparation times.
• Maintains patient diets and communicates with nursing if issues arise pertaining to a patient’s diet order.
• Cleans and sanitizes work stations and equipment per regulatory rules and procedures.
• Promotes effective teamwork and professional behavior.
• Effectively manages hospital resources (time, supplies, equipment).

Job description

Position Summary / Career Interest:

Under the direction of the Dietary Supervisor this position is responsible for preparing meals for patients, visitors and employees. The position will also clean and sanitize work stations and equipment as per regulatory rules and procedures and stock items in the food service department.

Responsibilities and Essential Job Functions

• Prepares and cooks to order foods requiring short preparation times.
• Reads food order or receives verbal instructions.
• Maintains patient diet orders, affectively communicates with nursing if any issues arise pertaining to a patient’s diet order.
• Contacts dietician on call when problems arise with patient diet orders.
• Prepares and cooks food according to instructions.
• Typically performs fast food cooking duties in preparing food items to be served to customers.
• Follows basic product directions for preparing, cooking, and serving of meats, vegetables, desserts and other foodstuff for consumption.
• Prepares foods by operating a variety of kitchen equipment, measures and mixes ingredients, washing, and peeling, cutting and shredding vegetables.
• Tastes products, reads menus, estimates food requirements, checks production and keep records in order to accurately plan production requirements and requisition supplies and equipment.
• Cleans and sanitizes work stations and equipment following regulatory rules and procedures.
• Promotes effective teamwork.
• Displays professional behavior and positive attitude at all times.
• Adheres to organizational policies and procedures.
• Effectively manages hospital resources (time, supplies, equipment, etc.)
• Must be able to perform the professional, clinical and or technical competencies of the assigned unit or department.
• These statements are intended to describe the essential functions of the job and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. Skills and duties may vary dependent upon your department or unit. Other duties may be assigned as required.

Required Education and Experience

• 1 or more years of experience as a cook, dietary aide, or food service.

We are an equal employment opportunity employer without regard to a person’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and sexual orientation), national origin, ancestry, age (40 or older), disability, veteran status or genetic information.