Dietary Cook

Stillwater Post-Acute, located in El Cajon, is a premier post-acute care facility with 256 beds, dedicated to delivering exceptional, patient-centered care that promotes recovery and enhances residents' quality of life. Our mission is to empower individuals on their journey to independence while helping them achieve their health goals. We offer a wide range of tailored services, including short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, and comprehensive therapy options such as physical, occupational, and speech therapy.

At Stillwater Post-Acute, we prioritize teamwork and leadership, ensuring that all department heads are accessible and supportive. We offer a variety of educational and hands-on training opportunities to promote your career growth in a collaborative environment that values your contributions. You’ll work alongside dedicated professionals committed to enhancing patient care, with plenty of chances for advancement and a great boss who truly cares about your success.

About the Role:

The Dietary Cook plays a critical role in preparing nutritious and appetizing meals tailored to meet the dietary needs of residents in a long-term care facility. This position ensures that all food preparation complies with sanitation standards and dietary guidelines, including diet therapy requirements. The Dietary Cook collaborates closely with the dietary team to maintain high standards of quantity and quality in cooking, adapting menus as necessary to accommodate individual health needs. Flexibility in scheduling is essential to meet the demands of meal service times and special dietary requests. Ultimately, the Dietary Cook contributes to the overall well-being and satisfaction of residents by delivering safe, wholesome, and enjoyable meals.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Experience working in a long-term care facility or similar healthcare environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of sanitation standards and safe food handling practices.
• Ability to read, write, and understand instructions related to diet therapy and food preparation.
• Proven ability to perform work tasks efficiently and as part of a team.
• Flexibility to work varied shifts including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Formal training or certification in dietary cooking or nutrition.
• Experience with specialized diet therapy such as diabetic, low sodium, or texture-modified diets.
• Familiarity with quantity cooking and large-scale meal preparation.
• Previous experience in a healthcare or long-term care kitchen setting.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to improving kitchen operations.
  
  

Responsibilities:

• Prepare and cook meals in accordance with prescribed diet therapy plans and facility standards.
• Maintain strict sanitation and hygiene practices in all food preparation and kitchen areas.
• Work collaboratively with dietary staff and other team members to ensure efficient kitchen operations.
• Monitor food quality and quantity to meet the nutritional needs of residents while minimizing waste.
• Read, write, and understand instructions related to recipes, dietary restrictions, and safety protocols.
• Adapt to flexible work schedules to support meal service during various shifts.
• Seek out and implement new methods and principles to improve food preparation and service.
  
  

Skills:

The Dietary Cook utilizes sanitation skills daily to ensure a clean and safe kitchen environment, preventing contamination and foodborne illnesses. Performing work tasks efficiently and accurately is essential to meet meal preparation deadlines and maintain consistent food quality. The ability to seek out new methods and principles allows the cook to stay current with best practices in diet therapy and food service, enhancing resident satisfaction. Working as part of a team is critical, as collaboration with dietary aides, nutritionists, and other staff ensures smooth kitchen operations and adherence to dietary plans. Reading, writing, and understanding instructions enable the cook to follow complex diet orders and safety protocols, ensuring meals meet individual health requirements.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related condition), age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), genetic predisposition or carrier status, military or veteran status, familial status, status as a victim of domestic violence, or any other status protected by law.