What are the responsibilities and job description for the Dietary Cook - Mesa View Assisted Living position at HEMPHILL COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT?
Hemphill County Hospital District is seeking one Full-Time Cook/Universal Worker to join our team at Mesa View Assisted Living. As a Cook/Universal Worker at MVAL, you’ll prepare nutritious meals for residents, staff, and guests, while maintaining a clean and safe kitchen environment. In addition to food service, you’ll assist residents with daily living activities, fostering comfort, dignity, and meaningful connections through compassionate care.
Schedule: This is a full-time position with a 5 days on / 2 days off rotating schedule, working 8-hour shifts. Shift times rotate between 6:30 AM – 3:00 PM and 10:30 AM – 6:30 PM, with rotating weekends.
Job Responsibilities:
- Prepare, season, and cook meals for residents, staff, and guests following menus and dietary guidelines.
- Operate and maintain kitchen equipment safely; ensure the cleanliness of kitchen, dining, and dishwashing areas.
- Follow food safety standards and report equipment needs to the Dietary Supervisor.
- Assist with serving meals, clearing tables, and maintaining sanitary conditions throughout the facility.
- Support residents with daily living activities including hygiene, dressing, mobility, and laundry.
- Monitor residents’ well-being, respond to call alerts, and report changes to the Director.
- Help new residents settle in and participate in planned activities to promote engagement.
- Maintain confidentiality and uphold residents’ dignity, safety, and comfort.
- Complete assigned shift duties and attend in-service training sessions.
Job Requirements:
Education:
- Minimum: High School Diploma or GED equivalent.
Work Experience:
- High school diploma or GED required.
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required or obtainable upon hire; must be maintained.
- Availability to work up to 12-hour shifts, including weekends and holidays.
- Preferred experience in direct patient care and institutional or commercial food service.
- Basic computer skills for data entry.
- Ability to perform physically demanding tasks, including lifting up to 50 lbs.
- Professional appearance, tact, and patience—especially when working with elderly residents.
Licenses & Certifications:
- Minimum: BLS certification (or willingness to obtain upon hire).
- Minimum: ServSafe certification (or willingness to obtain upon hire).
Skills & Abilities:
- Must convey a professional demeanor.
- Must be able to multitask
- Must be able to read recipes and create palatable meals
- Ability to remain calm and efficient in a busy or stressful environment.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.
- Adheres to all policies and procedures, including safety, attendance, punctuality, and personal appearance standards.
- Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with managers and peers.
Physical Requirements:
- The Dietary Cook role requires heavy physical activity, including lifting up to 100 pounds, with frequent lifting, pushing, pulling, carrying (50-75 pounds), bending, stooping, and reaching for cleaning tasks.
- Requires the ability to walk and stand for extended periods of time.
- Position requires physical fitness, visual and hearing acuity.
If you are passionate about providing high-quality meals in a caring environment, we encourage you to apply!
Company Policy:
Hemphill County Hospital District is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, national origin, gender identity, disability, military/veteran status, genetic information or any other categories protected by applicable law.
The job description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of Hemphill County Hospital District.
Hemphill County Hospital District is committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request an accommodation email careers@hchdst.org or call 1-806-323-1115
JOB REQUIREMENTS
Education
Minimum
High School Diploma or GED equivalent.
Must meet all local and state requirements regarding food handling.
Preferred
Work Experience
Minimum
Preferred
Prefer work experience in institutional or commercial food service/preparation area.
Licenses & Certifications
Minimum
Maintain BLS certification as a condition of employment.
SafeServ certification or ability to obtain
Preferred
Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
Qualifications and Requirements
Work Schedule:
- Must have consistent availability to work scheduled shifts, including eight-hour shifts, as a regular non-exempt employee.
Skills and Abilities:
- Strong organizational and communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with residents, families, staff, and management.
- Capable of managing multiple tasks and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to follow written and verbal instructions accurately.
- Basic reading and writing skills to interpret menus, recipes, and instructions.
Certifications:
- Must meet all applicable licensing and educational requirements for employment in dietary services.
Elder Care:
- Display a genuine interest in working with elderly individuals.
- Understand the physical, psychological, and social needs of aging residents.
- Stay updated on best practices and current issues in elderly care.
Professionalism:
- Maintain a professional appearance and demeanor at all times.
- Demonstrate patience, tact, and respect when working with residents, staff, and the public.
Additional Requirements:
- Ability to remain calm and professional in busy or stressful situations.
- Proficient in English for clear communication in person, by phone, and in writing.
- Adhere to all workplace policies and procedures, including safety protocols, attendance, punctuality, and dress code.
- Build and maintain positive working relationships with peers and supervisors.
AGE SPECIFIC COMPETENCY (Clinical jobs only)
Identify age-specific competencies for direct and indirect patient care providers who regularly assess, manage and treat patients.
Instructions: Indicate the age groups of patients served either by direct or indirect patient care by checking the appropriate
boxes below. Next,
X
Infants (Birth – 11 months)
X
Adolescent (13 – 19 years)
X
Toddlers (1 – 3 years)
X
Young Adult (20 – 40 years)
X
Preschool (4 – 5 years)
X
Middle Adult (41 – 65 years)
X
School Age (6 – 12 years)
X
Older Adult (Over 65 years)
JOB FUNCTIONS
Review the employee’s job description and identify each essential function that is performed differently based on the age group of the patient.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Indicate the appropriate physical requirements of this job in the course of a shift. Note: reasonable accommodations may
be made available for individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
Physical Demand Level
Occasional
Up to 33% of the time
Frequent
34%-66% of the time
Constant
67%-100% of the time
Sedentary: Ability to lift up to 10 pounds maximum and
occasionally lifting and/or carrying such articles as dockets, ledgers and small tools. Although a sedentary job is defined as one, which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met.
Up to 10#
Negligible
Negligible
Light: Ability to lift up to 25 pounds maximum and occasionally lifting and/or carrying such articles as dockets, ledgers and small tools. Although a sedentary job is defined as one, which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and other sedentary criteria are met.
Up to 25#
Up to 10# or
requires significant walking or standing, or requires pushing/pulling of arm/leg controls
Negligible or
constant push/pull of items of negligible weight
Medium: Ability to lift up to 50 pounds maximum with frequent lifting/and or carrying objects weighing up to 25
pounds.
20-50#
10-25#
Negligible-10#
X
Heavy: Ability to lift up to 100 pounds maximum with frequent
lifting and/or carrying objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
50-100#
25-50#
10-20#
Very Heavy: Ability to lift over 100 pounds with frequent
lifting and/or carrying objects weighing over 50 pounds.
Over 100#
Over 50#
Over 20#
List any other physical requirements or bona fide occupational qualifications:
Work Environment: Typically quiet, with occasional exposure to moderate noise levels in a kitchen setting.- Lifting/Moving: Must be able to occasionally lift and/or move objects weighing up to 100 pounds.
- Hearing: Adequate to understand verbal instructions and respond effectively in person and over the telephone.
- Speaking: Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in person and over the telephone.
- Vision: Sufficient visual acuity to perform tasks such as reading menus, recipes, and instructions, and to monitor kitchen equipment and safety procedures.
- Standing: Requires prolonged periods of standing during meal preparation and service, often exceeding several hours per shift.
- Physical Activities: Requires frequent bending, reaching, standing, walking, squatting, and sitting throughout a standard work shift. Regular pushing and pulling of carts or kitchen equipment is also required.
- Manual Dexterity: Necessary for operating kitchen equipment and handling utensils and tools with precision.
- Accommodations: Reasonable accommodations will be made for individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job.