Hot Springs Health
ROOM SERVICE COOK
Job Description
Position may be full time or part time
DEPARTMENT: NUTRITION AND ROOM SERVICE
SUPERVISOR: Director, Nutrition and Room Service
STATUS: Non-Exempt
EMPLOYEE NAME:
APPROVED BY: Chief Financial Officer DATE: August, 2025
GENERAL:
In accordance with the Hot Springs Health Personnel Policy and Procedure Manual and the requirements of our accrediting bodies, the employee will: support the mission of “Partnering with our community for quality health and healing”, our five core values “Ownership, Always better than yesterday, Service first, Integrity, and Stewardship of our resources (OASIS). Our behavior creates our OASIS – a place where we can find safety, sustenance, and a pleasant change from the usual and the vision “to be the provider and employer of choice in our region, providing quality care and excelling as a teaching hospital in Wyoming.”
The established priorities of Quality, Service, Finance, People, and Growth, will be utilized in decision making. Furthermore, the employee will demonstrate the ability to manage time, maintain a safe and clean environment; practice confidentiality; treat all persons with respect and professional courtesy; accept change; accept and provide constructive feedback; work as a team player and adhere to the infection control, fire and safety, disaster and hazardous waste policies. The employee must also demonstrate the competencies for their position, and adhere to policies and procedures of their department. The employee will participate in quality improvement activities.
BEHAVIORAL REQUIREMENTS:
The following is a list of minimally required behaviors to assist the employee in partnering with our community:
Ownership
Accepts responsibility for actions, attitudes and health. Doing things right the first time, every time for excellent results. Accepts ownership of mistakes and takes constructive action to avoid repeating mistakes. Works with empowerment to the highest potential both as an individual and as part of the team. Unsatisfied with the status quo or just being “good.”
Always Better Today Than Yesterday
Performs at the highest level, always learning and looking for ways to improve, with an unwavering focus on safety. Celebrates and encourages the contributions of one another.
Constructively challenges the status quo by being flexible, adaptable and embracing change as a key element of our future success. Contributes to an environment that encourages creative thinking. Shares ideas and opinions, and supports opportunities to learn and grow.
Service First
Doing our best every day to anticipate and exceed the expectations of patients, providers and co-workers. Understands excellence is the result of a team effort. Creates legendary experiences.
Integrity
Does the right things. Consistently open, honest, trustworthy, and ethical. Demonstrates respect for patients, their families, staff, providers, and the community.
Stewardship of Our Resources
Strives to care wisely for our human, financial, and natural resources. Strengthens HSH as a partner in the community.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Room Service Cook duties: Under the direction of a dietitian, the employee completes the following functions:
- Prepare meals to include the appropriate temperature, texture, garnish, and color of foods.
- Prepare special diets following the departmental guides, as ordered.
- Take food temperatures during production and before serving the meal, including test trays
- Store all foods as per established protocols, including Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) and Ready-to-Eat (RTE) foods.
- Document and monitor freezer temperatures and record as required.
- Maintain a clean sanitized kitchen and workspaces to assure patient and client safety following Hazardous Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).
- Inventory, ordering, and stock as required following First In-First Out (FIFO) processes.
- Cross-trained and support all Supervisor duties
- May be scheduled as Supervisor, as per need.
Supervisor duties:
Under the direction of a dietitian, the employee completes the following functions:
Patient Satisfaction
- Collect menus with the patients for >24 hours, as appropriate
- Supervise weekend and holiday menu collection process by staff
- Communicate, and when needed, prepare specialty food items
- Train staff how to cook and prepare specialty items
- Supervise and train staff how to pass meal trays and communicate patient needs
- Enquire after or during a meal if the patient is satisfied
- Supervise meal collection noting the intake percent of patients
- Review nutrient analysis for daily menu items for current patient diet restrictions
- May use Stella to confirm nutrient content i.e., sodium, cholesterol, CHO, etc.
- Offer between-meal snacks, as appropriate
- Note and communicate patient food preferences
- Monitor Tray line accuracy, temperature checks, and patient satisfaction.
- Provide basic nutrition and healthy eating patient education
- Conduct test tray audits and review with staff areas for improvement
Staff satisfaction
- Balance café charges, prepare cash deposits, and reconciliation.
- Support duties of the team
Nutrition Department Satisfaction
- Special diet confirmation of restrictions
- Ordering and inventory check, weekly
- Assist and cover Nutrition Department positions as needed
- Cross-train and support all Room Service Cook duties
The above duties are intended to describe the key aspects of the work performed by the individuals assigned to this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive listing of requirements relative to the position. Therefore, the employee may be required to perform other duties as assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: May include but not be limited to training new employees, monitoring peers, and, if needed, assigning duties.
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE
The Room Service Cook shall be:
- High School Graduate or equivalent
- Must be able to interact and communicate with all staff, clients, patients, and families effectively, exhibiting tact, enthusiasm, and patience.
- Must be able to be sensitive to cultural and language differences.
- Ability to work individually and in a team setting
- Able to respect the confidentiality of patient information being received and reviewed.
- Demonstrate good organizational abilities
- Knowledgeable in portion control for nutrient delivery cost control.
- Knowledgeable in food production sanitation requirements.
- One-year experience in food service, preferred
- Previous specialty diet menu, selection, and food preparation, preferred
- Prior institutional food preparation, preferred
LANGUAGE SKILLS:
Ability to read and interpret appropriate job-related documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide for food production needs.
REASONING ABILITY:
- Ability to solve practical problems and a variety of situations where only limited information exists.
- Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
- Ability to modify care based on the developmental, functional, age and physical ability of the patient.
- Ability to apply cultural, ethnic, and diet needs requested by our patients, clients, and staff.
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:
Food Handler Certificate, within three months of hire.
OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Ability to complete Room Service Training, within three months of hire.
- Ability to complete Customer Service Training, within three months of hire.
- Ability to act as a patient advocate.
- Ability to interact with patients, families, visitors, staff, and clients.
- Ability to interact effectively in a conflict resolution setting.
- Ability to demonstrate a professional, open-minded approach in identifying problems and resolving problems/conflicts.
Age-Specific:
This position does not require hands-on delivery of patient care. It may include assisting a patient to open food containers and set the tray within their reach.
Must demonstrate an understanding of how a patient’s condition may influence their need for feeding adaptations and understand how/why to assist the patient.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
This position requires:
- Ability to regularly lift and or move >10 pounds and occasionally lift and move up to 30 pounds.
- Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance, vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.
- Walking or standing up to 80% of duty.
- Able to operate food service equipment following safety guidelines.
WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
The employee is subject to a work environment of temperatures below freezing and above 100 F. The employee is also subject to the following safety practices: moving mechanical parts, electrical equipment, risk for burns, toxic chemicals, and biological agents.
