Food Service Worker II

Washington, DC, USA|

Job Overview

Compensation

Hourly

Exact $21.35

Benefits

Health Insurance

Paid Time Off

Retirement Plan

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life insurance

Employee assistance program

Job Description

Georgetown University Hospital is a prestigious academic medical center renowned for providing top-tier healthcare services and comprehensive patient care. It is part of a distinguished network of healthcare institutions known for their dedication to excellence, innovation, and compassionate service. The hospital's Food and Nutrition department plays a critical role in supporting patient health outcomes by delivering nutritious, safe, and well-balanced meals tailored to individual patient needs. With a commitment to meeting high standards of hygiene, safety, and patient satisfaction, Georgetown University Hospital integrates its food service operations seamlessly with its broader healthcare mission, ensuring every aspect of patient care is attentive and personalized.

The Patient Food Service Worker role at Georgetown University Hospital is an essential position responsible for a wide range of food service duties essential to patient nutrition and satisfaction. This hourly wage position, with a competitive pay rate of USD 21.35 per hour, involves critical tasks such as assisting patients with meal selections, tray assembly, timely delivery and pick-up of meals, and handling special dietary requests. The role requires close collaboration with nursing personnel to address patient dietary needs and restrictions, monitoring intake for patients on NPO or liquid diets, and supporting dietitians in nutritional assessments.

Beyond patient-focused activities, the role extends to operational responsibilities including preparing and serving food in both hospital units and retail cafeterias, catering event support, cash register operations, and maintaining stringent sanitation standards in compliance with HACCP regulations and all applicable laws. The position serves as a vital communication link between food service staff, hospital personnel, and external customers, addressing customer service concerns and ensuring quality standards are consistently met.

This comprehensive role demands a candidate with strong attention to detail, excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently in a fast-paced healthcare environment. The Patient Food Service Worker must execute duties with sensitivity to patient privacy and comfort, maintain cleanliness and safety in all food preparation and service areas, and contribute positively to the hospital's culture of caring and dedication to patient experience. The role also offers opportunities to engage in ongoing learning and development related to food service best practices in a hospital setting, making it ideal for those seeking to build a meaningful career in healthcare support services.

Job Requirements

High school diploma or GED required
equivalent (GED) required
1-2 years food preparation experience required
ability to handle heavy workload
ability to follow directions understand written and oral instructions
basic mathematical skills
courteous and tactful in dealing with customers
ability to exercise good judgement and initiative
completion of sanitation and food handlers course preferred
must meet competency requirements for patient dietary needs

Job Qualifications

High school diploma or GED required
equivalent (GED) required
completion of sanitation and food handlers course preferred
1-2 years food preparation experience required
large-scale food preparation and/or hospital dietary experience preferred
previous catering experience preferred
knowledge of a variety of foods their preparation and serving etiquette
ability to handle heavy workload
basic knowledge of sanitary methods used in food preparation knowledge of safety precautions and HACCP procedures preferred
ability to follow directions understand written and oral instructions and have basic mathematical skills
courtesy and tactfulness in dealing with customers
ability to exercise good judgement and initiative in satisfying customer requests
must meet competency requirements for patient dietary needs

Job Duties

Makes daily rounds to assigned nursing units communicates with staff and patients collects menus and checks menus for accuracy and completeness
receives and prints diet sheets from SMS and distributes to appropriate catering personnel daily
prints and distributes change orders as appropriate
assists patients in meal selection and completion of menu as needed taking preferences and special diets into account
enter menu selections for non-catering floors into the Computrition system prints out menus and meal tickets and distributes to appropriate persons
updates Computrition with any other relevant patient information as necessary
assembles meal trays while strictly adhering to mealtime schedules affecting service to patients and customers
accurately serve trays making sure that each tray is delivered to the appropriate person at the right time while carefully observing the patient’s right to privacy and consideration
ensures that each of the food items placed on the tray meets the standards for appearance temperature and accuracy
collects patient meal trays and documents food intake as ordered
answer phone calls from the nursing units calling to make any last minute changes to patient’s diet and communicate changes to the catering associates
communicates any patient problems and concerns to the appropriate persons
performs dipper and runner position responsibilities
works in dish room
delivers floor stock and nourishments to drop off units
follows recipes for salad sandwich and desert preparation
sets up desert and sandwich beverage refrigeration and snack and condiment stations and all other stations including hot food items and disposable products
uses all the displays for the flavors being served for yogurt soup and any other specials
verifies cashiers box and properly programs register if needed five minutes prior to meal service
maintains orderly uniform and personal grooming habits while working efficiently as a team member
sets up and prepares food for catering events per established orders and timeframes
delivers necessary materials and food to the appropriate area
ensures that food items utensils and decorative items placed on the table meet the standards for temperature and appearance according to established protocols
handles customer service complaints informs appropriate management of problems and/or concerns of guests
maintains proper standards of sanitation by daily cleaning of the work area refrigerators food carts etc and sweeps and mops the kitchen and food preparation area
gives completed catering slips to appropriate employee to ensure correct and immediate billing for catering services
exemplifies commitment to caring patient experience service standards and spirit values and actively participates in patient safety standards and tasks
assumes other duties and responsibilities that are appropriate to the position and area