Cook

The Cook prepares, cooks, serves, and provision of quality meals and nutritional services to patients, staff and guests. The individual is responsible for accurately and efficiently cook meats, fish, vegetables, soups, and other hot food products as well as prepare and portion food products prior to cooking. Prepares item for broiling, grilling, frying, sautéing or other cooking methods by portioning, battering, breading, seasoning and/or marinating. Must be knowledgeable of and consistently compliant with standard portion sizes, cooking methods, quality standards and kitchen rules, recipes, policies, and procedures.

Essential Duties:

• Practice appropriate hygienic practices
• Practices appropriate hand hygiene and glove use
• Employs hygienic practices
• Uses hair restraints and beard guards properly
• Follows facility practice for dealing with employees who have symptoms of contagious illness (e.g., coughing, sneezing, fever, vomiting) or open wounds
• Covers open sores or cuts completely when handling food
• Knows the causes of foodborne illnesses and infections, their characteristics, and the most commonly infected items
• Prevents eating surfaces of dishware from coming in contact with staff clothing
• Demonstrates understanding of infection control precautions
• Understands that menus are developed and prepared to meet patients choices including nutritional, religious, cultural, and ethnic needs while using established national guidelines and approve by a RDN
• Understands and follows prescribed diet orders, menu spreadsheets and corresponding recipes
• Appropriately interprets the portion sizes and serving utensils for all diets on the menu
• Provides required substitutions or modifications in meals for patients whose special needs restrict their diets
• Implements rules of safe practice for handling and discarding leftover food
• Ensures process for maintaining food at the proper temperature at all times during freezing, thawing, preparation, holding and serving
• Ensures preparation of food combinations that add visual appeal and variety to a menu (garnishes)
• Works with supervisors to plan menus for or around special occasions and holidays
• Demonstrates ability to recognize food quality, palatability and appearance
• Appropriately identifies menu portion sizes and serving utensils
• Cooks food adequately to required internal temperatures for potentially hazardous foods
• Uses thermometers correctly to check food temperatures and sanitizes appropriately after use
• Assures that hot foods are held at 135&degree; F or higher, after they are heated to a minimum internal temperature
• Checks to make sure cold foods are held below 41&degree;
• Ensure that leftovers are reheated rapidly to 165&degree; F in 2 hours
• Labels, dates and stores all food items correctly and in a timely manner
• Stores raw and cooked foods separately
• Practices the first in first out method of inventory rotation
• Keeps the refrigerator/freezer clean
• Wraps, dates, and labels all foods properly
• Stores food 6" off the floor and 18" from the ceiling
• Stores chemicals away from food and other food-related supplies
• Keeps food stored in proper containers
• Demonstrates personal responsibility for maintaining safe and sanitary conditions
• Understands basic principles of food service sanitation
• Uses cutting boards according to type of food
• Stores cleaning cloths in sanitizing solution

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties to meet the ongoing needs of the hospital. Duties may be modified or changed with or without notice.

Requirements

Education and/or Licensure – High School degree (or equivalent) or two (2) years’ work experience required. Must possess or obtain a valid Food Handlers certificate within 30 days of accepting the position.

Experience – A minimum of one (1) year experience as a Cook worker in a commercial environment, preferably in a healthcare environment setting preferred. Two (2) years’ experience in a kitchen role, preferably in a healthcare setting.

Additional Requirements – Bi-lingual English/Spanish preferred but not required. Must be available for weekend, day, and night shifts as assigned. Must possess or obtain a valid CPR certification and SAMA training within 30 days of hire.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Must be able to concentrate on work amidst distractions such as noise, conversations, and foot traffic; must be able to consistently meet deadlines; and finish all food preparation at specified serving time; must be flexible in work hours in order to meet patient and organization operating needs.
• Must maintain self-control in volatile or hostile customer services interactions.
• Must be able to adjust recipes to achieve desired results. Must be able to read and comprehend recipes or instructions on prepackaged products. Ability to read, convert and adjust mathematical measurements for recipe adjustments.
• Must be able to use kitchen equipment such as knives, slicers, mixers, and dishwashers; knowledge of the hygiene factors involved in food preparation; knowledge of cleaning products and the appropriate methods of cleaning a variety of surfaces.
• Must be able to work independently, in a result restricted physical environment for extended periods of time.
• Skill to independently interpret reference materials to comply with law, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, etc.
• Must have ability to perform several tasks concurrently.
• Ability to apply time management practices to prioritize, schedule and complete work effectively to comply with mandated policies and deadlines.
• Ability to work on multiple tasks or parts of tasks simultaneously to ensure timely completion of work activities.

Physical Requirements/Environmental Conditions

Perform the following with or without reasonable accommodations:

• Ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, stand, walk, push, pull, lift, grasp, and be able to perceive the attributes of objects such as size, shape, temperature, and/or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of the fingertips.
• Ability to express and exchange ideas via spoken word during activities in which they must convey detail or important spoken instructions to others accurately, sometimes quickly and loudly.
• Hearing to perceive the nature of sound with no less than 40 db loss @ Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz with or without correction; ability to perceive detailed information orally and make fine discriminations in sound.
• Perform repetitive motions with wrists, hands, and fingers. Individual must be able to exert up to 100 pounds of force occasionally and to be able to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
• Work requires a minimum standard of visual acuity with or without correction that will enable people in the role to complete administrative and clerical tasks, as well as inspect and analyze.
• Must be able to work and concentrate amidst distractions such as noise, conversation and foot traffic; ability to handle interruptions often and be able to move from one task to another
• While worker may possibly be subjected to temperature changes, the worker is generally not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions as the work is predominantly inside.

Benefits

401K, Medical/Dental insurance, FMLA and Short-Term Disability

• Health Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• 401K Retirement Plan
• Healthcare Spending Account
• Dependent Care Spending Account
• PTO Plan with Holiday Premium Pay
• Life Insurance (Supplemental Life, Term, and Universal plans are also available.)
• Short and Long-Term Disability (with additional buy-in opportunities)