CATERING ASSOCIATE

The Catering Associate at Riverside Healthcare is responsible for ensuring exceptional patient meal service across assigned units. This role involves coordinating patient menu selections, assembling and delivering trays, addressing special dietary needs, and handling in-between meal requests. The Catering Associate serves as a key liaison between the Food & Nutrition Services department and nursing staff to ensure patients dietary requirements are met accurately and in a timely manner, especially for those on physician-ordered modified diets. The role also requires adherence to infection control and sanitation standards, ensuring patient satisfaction, and contributing to the overall quality of care. Demonstrates flexibility with assignments within professional scope/duties/licensure.

Essential Duties

• Coordinate patient meal service, including menu selection, tray assembly, delivery, and pick-up on assigned units.
• Address and communicate patient food issues, concerns, and requests to Food & Nutrition Services.
• Collaborate with nursing staff to ensure compliance with patients' nutritional needs and unit food service requirements.
• Respond to changes and special requests to maintain efficient timing and accuracy of meal services.
• Understand and accommodate dietary restrictions based on physician-prescribed diets to ensure food preferences align with medical guidelines.
• Ensure patient satisfaction, reflected in internal and external surveys, by offering alternatives within dietary limitations.
• Maintain up-to-date patient meal information on assigned units, ensuring accuracy for all meal services.
• Demonstrate knowledge of infection control and sanitation practices, including food and refrigeration temperatures, hand washing, glove use, and proper food dating.
• Provide quality service in accordance with cultural, ethnic, and religious food preferences.

Non-essential Duties

• Assist with routine cleaning tasks as assigned, ensuring compliance with job flow standards.
• Perform patient care duties as required, aligning with job flow standards.
• Participate in training and staff meetings to stay updated on best practices and departmental updates.

Preferred Experience

• Knowledge of dietary restrictions, infection control, and sanitation best practices.

Required Licensure/Education

• On-the-job training provided.
• Ability to read, write, and speak English; additional language skills may be beneficial.
• Ability to pass a written test on modified diets provided by clinical staff.

Employee Health Requirements:

Exposure to:

• Chemicals: Refer to MSDS Sheets
• Video Display Terminals: Extreme
• Blood and Body Fluids: Minimal potential due to very restricted direct patient contact.
• TB or Airborne Pathogens: Minimal potential due to very restricted direct patient contact.

Sensory requirements (speech, vision, smell, hearing, touch):

• Speech: Required to communicate with physicians, patients, staff and hospitals. 
• Vision: Needed to see MIS display, graphic lines for documentation, read printouts of reports, names on charts and forms. 
• Smell: Needed for electrical/fire safety, detect presence of ETOH on patients and visitors. 
• Hearing: Needed for telephone communication, hear intercom system from patient rooms and front door. 
• Touch: Required to manipulate and operate office equipment and tools.

Activity/Lifting Requirements:

Percentage of time during the normal workday the employee is required to:

• Sit: 68%
• Twist: 10%
• Stand: 20%
• Crawl: 0%
• Walk: 10%
• Kneel: 2%
• Lift: 5%
• Drive: 2%
• Squat: 5%
• Climb: 1%
• Bend: 5%
• Reach above shoulders: 2%

The weight required to be lifted each normal workday according to the continuum described below:

• Up to 10 lbs: Frequently
• Up to 20 lbs: Occasionally
• Up to 35 lbs: Occasionally
• Up to 50 lbs: Not Required
• Up to 75 lbs: Not Required
• Up to 100 lbs: Not Required
• Over 100 lbs: Not Required

Describe and explain the lifting and carrying requirements. (Example: the distance material is carried; how high material is lifted, etc.):

Carry records from place to place, waist high approximately 10-15'. Lift supplies from floor to cabinets, about 3-4'. Lift/carry supplies from utility rooms to counter and office. Carry stacks of chairs waist high approximately 5-15'. In an emergency, could be required to carry a fire extinguisher down/up 3 flights of stairs and several hundred yards. 

Maximum consecutive time (minutes) during the normal workday for each activity:

• Sit: 120
• Twist: 10
• Stand:30
• Crawl: 0
• Walk: 10
• Kneel: 5
• Lift: 2
• Drive: 0
• Squat: 5
• Climb: 1
• Bend: 15
• Reach above shoulders: 2 

Repetitive use of hands (Frequency indicated):

• Simple grasp up to 10 lbs. Normal weight: 5- 10#occasionally
• Pushing & pulling Normal weight: 5-100#
• Fine Manipulation: Writing and computer keyboard.

Repetitive use of foot or feet in operating machine control: None

Environmental Factors & Special Hazards:

Environmental Factors (Time Spent):

• Inside hours: 8
• Outside hours: 0
• Temperature: Normal Range
• Lighting: Average
• Noise levels: Average
• Humidity: Normal range
• Atmosphere:

Special Hazards: Mechanical-VDT display and numerous outlets. 

Protective Clothing Required: None.