Prepares food for patients, visitors, and staff using menus, recipes, production sheets, tally sheets, cooking equipment, cooking methods, and using safe food handling techniques to help provide optimal nutritional care and wellness. Ensures that food production is of high quality and that all foods are prepared, cooked, and served in accordance with specified recipes and procedures. Maintains and carries out all NAH policies and procedures. Ensures compliance with all CMS, County and other applicable regulatory agencies. Assists the kitchen supervisor through a variety of activities including assistance with hiring, training, scheduling and supervising of kitchen staff.

Food Preparation
* Follows guidelines of preparation and recipes for all patients, cafeteria, and catering meals.

* Follows production tool and/or electronic meal tallies/differentials for food preparation.

* Follows therapeutic diet modifications and guidelines for all patient meal trays, nourishments, snacks and supplements.

* Comprehension of Specialty diets, Dysphagia, Low Sodium, Low Sugar, Clear Liquids, Liquids, and adaptive devices for disables patients.

* Preparation work in institutional cooking and knowledge of meals aimed at patients with unique dietary restrictions.

* Knowledge of batch cooking, for room service menu versus menu of day.

* Must be adept at reading and comprehending complex dietary instructions provided by physicians and dieticians.

Resource Management
* Provides assistance to other work areas.

* Performs inspections daily to ensure food safety, adequate temperature checks and schedule changes.

* Delegates, and assigns tasks to Nutrition Assistant with assistance from supervisor.

* Assists the kitchen supervisor by performing lead functions in the department's operations.

* Stores and stocks food and supplies for department/other.

* Works patient room service, grill, deli, and retail, following therapeutic diet and allergy restrictions.

Sanitization/Safety
* Adheres to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).

* Follows the master cleaning guidelines.

* Adheres to food safety guidelines which are established by local health department standards.

* Adheres to established protocol for cleaning of all service ware: remove debris, wash, rinses, sanitize and air dry before storage.

* Adheres to time and temperature control during preparation, service, and storage of all food.

* Adheres to proper cleaning and maintenance of work station-clean, wash, rinse, and sanitize prior to start of preparation, during preparation, and at end of preparation.

* Adheres to physical safety standards.

* Must continuously clean work areas, food and cooking utensils. Cleaning is performed before, during and after cooking.

Compliance/Safety
* Responsible for reporting any safety-related incident in a timely fashion through the Midas/RDE tool; attends all safety-related training programs; performs work in a safe manner; monitors work environment for possible safety issues and ensures others are also performing work in a safe manner.

* Stays current and complies with state and federal regulations/statutes and company policies that impact the employee's area of responsibility.

* If required for the position, ensures all certifications and/or licenses are up-to-date and valid prior to expiration dates.

* Completes all company mandatory modules and required job-specific training in the specified time frame.

* Competent in therapeutic diet knowledge and demonstrates ability to follow diet modifications.

* Adheres to infection control guidelines and practices.

* Accurately completes all manual and electronic forms.

Education
High School Diploma or GED, or equivalent qualifying experience- Preferred

Certification & Licensures
FMC: Coconino County Food Manager's Card within 30 days of hire- Required

Experience
Experience in food service with cooking - Preferred

Experience in a Healthcare environment- Preferred

Healthcare is a rapidly changing environment and technology is integrated into almost all aspects of patient care. Computers and other electronic devices are utilized across the organization and throughout each department. Colleagues must have an understanding of computers, and competence in using computers and basic software programs.